Differential responses of chili varieties grown under cadmium stress.

Heavy metal cadmium (Cd) naturally occurs in soil and is a hazardous trace contaminant for humans, animals, and plants. The main sources of Cd pollution in soil include overuse of phosphatic fertilizers, manure, sewage sludge, and aerial deposition. That's why an experiment was conducted to analyze the effect of Cd toxicity in Capsicum annuum L. by selecting its seven varieties: Hybrid, Desi, Sathra, G-916, BR-763, BG-912, and F1-9226. Cadmium was spiked in soil with four levels, i.e., (0, 3, 4, and 5 mg Cd kg- 1 of soil) for a week for homogeneous dispersion of heavy metal. Chili seeds were sown in compost-filled loamy soil, and 25-day-old seedlings were transplanted into Cd-spiked soil. Cadmium increasing concentration in soil decreased chili growth characteristics, total soluble sugars, total proteins, and amino acids. On the other hand, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were increased with the increasing concentration of Cd in almost all the varieties. Treatment 5 mg Cd/kg application caused - 197.39%, -138.78%, -60.77%, -17.84%, -16.34%, -11.82% and - 10.37% decrease of carotenoids level in chili V2 (Desi) followed by V4 (G-916), V1 (Hy7brid), V7 (F1-9226), V6 (BG-912), V5 (BR-763) and V3 (Sathra) as compared to their controls. The maximum flavonoids among varieties were in V5 (BR-763), followed by V6 (BG-912), V7 (F1-9226), V3 (Sathra) and V1 (Hybrid). Flavonoids content was decreased with - 37.63% (Sathra), -34.78% (Hybrid), -33.85% (G-916), -31.96% (F1-9226), -31.44% (Desi), -30.58% (BR-763), -22.88% (BG-912) as compared to their control at 5 mg Cd/kg soil stress. The maximum decrease in POD, SOD, and CAT was - 31.81%, -25.98%, -16.39% in chili variety V7 (F1-9226) at 5 mg Cd/kg stress compared to its control. At the same time, maximum APX content decrease was - 82.91%, followed by -80.16%, -65.19%, -40.31%, -30.14%, -10.34% and - 6.45% in V4 (G-916), V2 (Desi), V3 (Sathra), V6 (BG-912), V1 (Hybrid), V7 (F1-9226) and V5 (BR-763) at 5 mg Cd/kg treatment as compared to control chili plants. The highest CAT was found in 5 chili varieties except Desi and G-916. Desi and G-916 varieties. V5 (BR-763) and V6 (BG-912) were susceptible, while V1 (Hybrid), V3 (Sathra), and V7 (F1-9226) were with intermediate growth attributes against Cd stress. Our results suggest that Desi and G-916 chili varieties are Cd tolerant and can be grown on a large scale to mitigate Cd stress naturally.

Enhancing maize resilience to drought stress: the synergistic impact of deashed biochar and carboxymethyl cellulose amendment.

Drought stress poses a significant challenge to maize production, leading to substantial harm to crop growth and yield due to the induction of oxidative stress. Deashed biochar (DAB) in combination with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) presents an effective approach for addressing this problem. DAB improves soil structure by increasing porosity and water retention and enhancing plant nutrient utilization efficiency. The CMC provides advantages to plants by enhancing soil water retention, improving soil structure, and increasing moisture availability to the plant roots. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of DAB and CMC amendments on maize under field capacity (70 FC) and drought stress. Six different treatments were implemented in this study, namely 0 DAB + 0CMC, 25 CMC, 0.5 DAB, 0.5 DAB + 25 CMC, 1 DAB, and 1 DAB + 25 CMC, each with six replications, and they were arranged according to a completely randomized design. Results showed that 1 DAB + 25 CMC caused significant enhancement in maize shoot fresh weight (24.53%), shoot dry weight (38.47%), shoot length (32.23%), root fresh weight (19.03%), root dry weight (87.50%) and root length (69.80%) over control under drought stress. A substantial increase in maize chlorophyll a (40.26%), chlorophyll b (26.92%), total chlorophyll (30.56%), photosynthetic rate (21.35%), transpiration rate (32.61%), and stomatal conductance (91.57%) under drought stress showed the efficiency of 1 DAB + 25 CMC treatment compared to the control. The enhancement in N, P, and K concentrations in both the root and shoot validated the effectiveness of the performance of the 1 DAB + 25 CMC treatment when compared to the control group under drought stress. In conclusion, it is recommended that the application of 1 DAB + 25 CMC serves as a beneficial amendment for alleviating drought stress in maize.

Enhancing maize growth through the synergistic impact of potassium enrich biochar and spermidine.

Maize cultivated for dry grain covers approximately 197 million hectares globally, securing its position as the second most widely grown crop worldwide after wheat. Although spermidine and biochar individually showed positive impacts on maize production in existing literature, their combined effects on maize growth, physiology, nutrient uptake remain unclear and require further in-depth investigation. That's why a pot experiment was conducted on maize with spermidine and potassium enriched biochar (KBC) as treatments in Multan, Pakistan, during the year 2022. Four levels of spermidine (0, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45mM) and two levels of potassium KBC (0 and 0.50%) were applied in completely randomized design (CRD). Results showed that 0.45 mM spermidine under 0.50% KBC caused significant enhancement in maize shoot length (11.30%), shoot fresh weight (25.78%), shoot dry weight (17.45%), root length (27.95%), root fresh weight (26.80%), and root dry weight (20.86%) over control. A significant increase in maize chlorophyll a (50.00%), chlorophyll b (40.40%), total chlorophyll (47.00%), photosynthetic rate (34.91%), transpiration rate (6.51%), and stomatal conductance (15.99%) compared to control under 0.50%KBC validate the potential of 0.45 mM spermidine. An increase in N, P, and K concentration in the root and shoot while decrease in electrolyte leakage and antioxidants also confirmed that the 0.45 mM spermidine performed more effectively with 0.50%KBC. In conclusion, 0.45 mM spermidine with 0.50%KBC is recommended for enhancing maize growth.

Effect of carboxymethyl cellulose and gibberellic acid-enriched biochar on osmotic stress tolerance in cotton.

The deleterious impact of osmotic stress, induced by water deficit in arid and semi-arid regions, poses a formidable challenge to cotton production. To protect cotton farming in dry areas, it's crucial to create strong plans to increase soil water and reduce stress on plants. The carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), gibberellic acid (GA3) and biochar (BC) are individually found effective in mitigating osmotic stress. However, combine effect of CMC and GA3 with biochar on drought mitigation is still not studied in depth. The present study was carried out using a combination of GA3 and CMC with BC as amendments on cotton plants subjected to osmotic stress levels of 70 (70 OS) and 40 (40 OS). There were five treatment groups, namely: control (0% CMC-BC and 0% GA3-BC), 0.4%CMC-BC, 0.4%GA3-BC, 0.8%CMC-BC, and 0.8%GA3-BC. Each treatment was replicated five times with a completely randomized design (CRD). The results revealed that 0.8 GA3-BC led to increase in cotton shoot fresh weight (99.95%), shoot dry weight (95.70%), root fresh weight (73.13%), and root dry weight (95.74%) compared to the control group under osmotic stress. There was a significant enhancement in cotton chlorophyll a (23.77%), chlorophyll b (70.44%), and total chlorophyll (35.44%), the photosynthetic rate (90.77%), transpiration rate (174.44%), and internal CO2 concentration (57.99%) compared to the control group under the 40 OS stress. Thus 0.8GA3-BC can be potential amendment for reducing osmotic stress in cotton cultivation, enhancing agricultural resilience and productivity.

The role of strigolactone in alleviating salinity stress in chili pepper.

Salinity stress can significantly delay plant growth. It can disrupt water and nutrient uptake, reducing crop yields and poor plant health. The use of strigolactone can be an effective technique to overcome this issue. Strigolactone enhances plant growth by promoting root development and improvement in physiological attributes. The current pot study used strigolactone to amend chili under no salinity and salinity stress environments. There were four treatments, i.e., 0, 10µM strigolactone, 20µM strigolactone and 30µM strigolactone. All treatments were applied in four replications following a completely randomized design (CRD). Results showed that 20µM strigolactone caused a significant increase in chili plant height (21.07%), dry weight (33.60%), fruit length (19.24%), fruit girth (35.37%), and fruit yield (60.74%) compared to control under salinity stress. Significant enhancement in chili chlorophyll a (18.65%), chlorophyll b (43.52%), and total chlorophyll (25.09%) under salinity stress validated the effectiveness of 20µM strigolactone application as treatment over control. Furthermore, improvement in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentration in leaves confirmed the efficient functioning of 20µM strigolactone compared to other concentrations under salinity stress. The study concluded that 20µM strigolactone is recommended for mitigating salinity stress in chili plants. Growers are advised to apply 20µM strigolactone to enhance their chili production under salinity stress.

Blocking of awn development-related gene OsGAD1 coordinately boosts yield and quality of Kam Sweet Rice.

Kam Sweet Rice is a high-quality local variety of Guizhou province in China, but most varieties have awns on lemma. In this study, we aimed to obtain awnless varieties of Kam Sweet Rice by blocking the awn development-related gene OsGAD1 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We determined that natural variations of the OsGAD1 triggered different lengths of awns of Kam Sweet Rice. We found that the awning rate of the CRISPR lines of OsGAD1 in Guxiangnuo, Goujingao and Gouhuanggang decreased by over 65%, and the number of grains per panicle and yield per plant increased by more than 17% and 20% compared to the wild-types. Furthermore, we indicated that blocking OsGAD1 resulted in an increase of over 2% in the brown rice rate and milled rice rate in these varieties. In addition, the analysis of the transcriptome revealed that the regulation of awn development and yield formation in CRISPR lines of OsGAD1 may involve genes associated with phytohormone and nitrogen pathways. These results suggest that blocking OsGAD1 in Kam Sweet Rice using CRISPR/Cas9 technology can be used for breeding programs seeking high yield and grain quality of Kam Sweet Rice.

Modulation of sunflower growth via regulation of antioxidants, oil content and gas exchange by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and quantum dot biochar under chromium stress.

Chromium (Cr) toxicity significantly threatens sunflower growth and productivity by interfering with enzymatic activity and generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Zinc quantum dot biochar (ZQDB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have become popular to resolve this issue. AMF can facilitate root growth, while biochar tends to minimize Cr mobility in soil. The current study aimed to explore AMF and ZQDB combined effects on sunflower plants in response to Cr toxicity. Four treatments were applied, i.e. NoAMF + NoZQDB, AMF + 0.40%ZQDB, AMF + 0.80%ZQDB, and AMF + 1.20%ZQDB, under different stress levels of Cr, i.e. no Cr (control), 150 and 200 mg Cr/kg soil. Results showed that AMF + 1.20%ZQDB was the treatment that caused the greatest improvement in plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, number of leaves per plant, achenes per head, 1000 achenes weight, achene yield, biological yield, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content and oleic acid, relative to the condition NoAMF + No ZQDB at 200 mg Cr/kg soil. A significant decline in peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) while improvement in ascorbate peroxidase (APx), oil content, and protein content further supported the effectiveness of AMF + 1.20%ZQDB against Cr toxicity. Our results suggest that the treatment AMF + 1.20%ZQDB can efficiently alleviate Cr stress in sunflowers.

In vitro biofilm inhibition efficacy of Aerva lanata flower extract against Gram negative and Gram-positive biofilm forming bacteria and toxicity analysis using Artemia salina.

A biofilm consists of Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria enclosed in a matrix. Industrial biofouling is caused by biofilms, which can exhibit antimicrobial resistance during infections. Many biofilm studies find that nearly all biofilm communities consist of Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It is therefore necessary to better understand the conserved themes in biofilm formation to develop therapeutics based on biofilm formation. Plant extracts can effectively combat pathogenic bacterial biofilms. This study evaluated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of Aerva lanata flower extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methanol extract of dried A. lanata flower was tested against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa to determine the antibacterial activity (10, 25, 50, 75, 100 µg/mL) resulted in a maximum of 0.5-1 log reduction and 2 log reduction in comparison to the control or untreated bacterial cells respectively. A. lanata showed maximum biofilm inhibition up to 1.5-fold and 1-fold against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Light microscopic analysis of biofilm treated with A. lanata extract showed efficient distortion of the biofilm matrix. Further, the in vivo analysis of A. lanata in the Artemia salina brine shrimp model showed >50% survival and thus proving the efficacy of A. lanata extract in rescuing the brine shrimps against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus infection.

Bioremediation efficiency of free and immobilized form of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus tubigenesis biomass on tannery effluent.

Untreated tannery effluent discharge, which causes severe environmental pollution. This research was performed to assess the bioremediation (multi-pollutant adsorption) potential of pre-identified and multi metal tolerant Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus tubigenesis through a stirred tank bioreactor in free and immobilized form. Physicochemical property analysis results showed that most of the tannery effluent properties were beyond the permissible limits. These A. niger and A. tubigenesis effectively immobilized on corncob and coir solid support material. The stirred tank bioreactor based bioremediation study revealed that the fungal biomass (Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus tubigenesis) immobilized coir and corncob material demonstrated remarkable multi-pollutant (TSS: 22.5% & 13.5%, TS: 29% & 22%, BOD: 21% & 10%, TDS: 28% & 19%, COD: 30% & 22%, Cr: 27% & 19%, Cu: 28% & 12%, and Pb: 48% & 29% respectively) adsorption potential in a week of treatment. Moreover, it reduced the toxicity of tannery effluent and promotes the sprouting of Oriza sativa seeds, as demonstrated by petri plate bioassay. These finding suggest that the metal-tolerant fungal isolates A. niger and A. tubigenesis demonstrated impressive bioremediation proficiencies in an immobilized state. A field investigation is required to assess the feasibility of this strategy on tannery effluent.

Cobalt nanoparticles synthesizing potential of orange peel aqueous extract and their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.

The ability of cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) to absorb electromagnetic waves led to their use as potential biomedical agents in recent years. The properties of magnetic fluid containing cobalt nanoparticles are extraordinary. Hence, this research was designed to evaluate the Co(NO3)2 reducing the potential of orange peel aqueous extract and assessed their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The aqueous extract derived from orange peel had the potential to fabricate the CoNPs from 1 M Co(NO3)2 and the synthesized CoNPs were successfully characterized by standard nanoparticles characterization techniques such as UV-vis spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses. The FTIR analysis revealed that the synthesized CoNPs were capped with active functional groups. It was characterized by predominant peaks corresponding to carbonyl (CO), amide (CO = ), and C-O of alcohols or phenols. The size and shape of CoNPs were found as 14.2-22.7 nm and octahedral, respectively, under SEM analysis. Furthermore, at increased concentration, the CoNPs demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial activity against common bacterial (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus,Bacillus subtilis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and fungal (Aspergillus niger) pathogens. Furthermore, these CoNPs also showed considerable in-vitro antioxidant activities against various free articles such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2). These results suggest that OP aqueous extract synthesized CoNPs possess considerable biomedical applications.

Characterization of NiONPs synthesized by aqueous extract of orange fruit waste and assessed their antimicrobial and antioxidant potential.

This research was performed to evaluate the nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) fabricating potential of orange fruit waste (OFW) aqueous extract. Moreover characterize the synthesized OFW-NiONPs through standard techniques such as UV-vis. spectrophotometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses. Furthermore, the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of OFW-NiONPs were studied against most common microbial pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Aspergillus niger) and free radicals (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), H2O2, OH, and FRAP). A sharp absorbance peak was obtained at 324 nm under UV-vis spectrum analysis that confirmed that the synthesis of OFW-NiONPs and it has been capped and stabilized by numbers of active functional groups studied through FTIR analysis. SEM and DLS analyses revealed that the cubic and triangle shaped OFW-NiONPs with the size intensity distribution was ranging from 21 nm to 130 nm. Interestingly, the OFW-NiONPs showed remarkable antimicrobial activity against the common microbial pathogens in the order of E. coli > A. niger > K. pneumoniae > B. subtilis > S. aureus at increased concentration of 200 µg mL-1. Similarly, the synthesized OFW-NiONPs also possess significant free radicals scavenging activity against DPPH, OH, and FRAP. These results conclude that this OFW-NiONPs can be considered for some biomedical applications after the investigations of some in-vivo research.

Antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, and antioxidant activities potential of Coleus aromaticus synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

The nanoparticles based drug delivery and treatment related research has been increased significantly in the recent years. Hence, the antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity potential of pre synthesized and characterized Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) were investigated in this study through respective standard protocols. Interestingly, the obtained results revealed that TiO2 NPs have concentration dependent antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens such as E. coli, P.mirabilis, V. cholerae, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, and S. aureus at 100 µg mL-1 concentration. Furthermore, these TiO2 NPs showed remarkable antifungal activity against aspergillosis causing fungal pathogens such as A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. nidulans, and A. flavus at 100 µg mL-1 concentration. α-glucosidase. This TiO2 NPs also effectively inhibit the α-amylase (17%) and α-Glucosidase (37%) enzyme activity at 100 µg mL-1 dosage. The DPPH assay revealed that TiO2 NPs effectively scavenge DPPH free radicals by up to 89% at 100 µg mL-1 concentration, which was comparable to butylated hydroxytoluene (96%). These results suggest that the plant-based TiO2 NPs have remarkable in-vitro antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity. These may be considered for additional in-vitro and in-vivo experiments to assess their potential biomedical applications.

Impact assessment of natural variations in different weather factors on the incidence of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn. and yellow vein mosaic disease in Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.

Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, also renowned as the silver leaf whitefly, is among the most damaging polyphagous insect pests in many commercially important crops and commodities. A set of field experiments were conducted for three consecutive years i.e., 2018-2020, to investigate the role of variations in rainfall, temperature, and relative humidity on the abundance of B. tabaci in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench). In the first experiment, the variety Arka Anamika was cultivated twice a year to analyse the incidence of B. tabaci concerning the prevailing weather factors and the overall pooled incidence recorded during the dry and wet season was 1.34 ± 0.51 to 20.03 ± 1.42 and 2.26 ± 1.08 to 18.3 ± 1.96, respectively. Similarly, it was observed that the highest number of B. tabaci catch (19.51 ± 1.64 whiteflies/3 leaves) was recorded in morning hours between 08:31 to 09:30 a.m. The Yellow Vein Mosaic Disease (YVMD) is a devastating disease of okra caused by begomovirus, for which B. tabaci acts as a vector. In another experiment, screening was conducted to check the relative susceptibility of three different varieties viz., ArkaAnamika, PusaSawani, and ParbhaniKranti against B. tabaci (incidence) and YVMD ((Percent Disease Incidence (PDI), Disease Severity Index (DSI), and Area Under the Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC)). The recorded data was normalized by standard transformation and subjected to ANOVA for population dynamics and PDI. Pearson's rank correlation matrix and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) have been used to relate the influences of various weather conditions on distribution and abundance. SPSS and R software were used to create the regression model for predicting the population of B. tabaci. Late sown PusaSawani evolved as a highly susceptible variety in terms of B. tabaci (24.83 ± 6.79 adults/3leaves; mean ± SE; N = 10) as well as YVMD i.e., PDI (38.00 ± 4.95 infected plants/50plants), DSI (71.6-96.4% at 30 DAS) and AUDPC (mean ß-value = 0.76; R2 = 0.96) while early sown Parbhani Kranti least susceptible to both. However, the variety ArkaAnamika was observed as moderately susceptible to B. tabaci and its resultant disease. Moreover, environmental factors were predominantly responsible for regulating the population of insect pests in the field and hence its productivity like rainfall and relative humidity were negative while the temperature was positively correlated with B. tabaci (incidence) and YVMD (AUDPC). The findings are helpful for the farmers to choose need-based IPM strategies than timing-based, which would fit perfectly with the present agro-ecosystems in all ways.

Impact of the combined effect of seawater exposure with wastewater and Fe2O3 nanoparticles on Chlorella vulgaris microalgae growth, lipid content, biochar, and bio-oil production.

Microalgae is one the promising source of energy for the production of biofuel and other value-added products to replace the existing conventional fossil fuels. However, low lipid content and poor cell harvesting are the key challenges. Based on the growth conditions the lipid productivity will be affected. The current study examines the mixtures of both wastewater and NaCl on the microalgae growth was studied. The microalgae used for conducting the tests were Chlorella vulgaris microalgae. Mixtures of the wastewater was prepared under the different concentrations of the seawater, classified as S0%, S20%, and S40%. The growth of microalgae was studied in the presence of these mixtures, and the addition of Fe2O3 nanoparticles was included to stimulate the growth. The results showed that increasing the salinity in the wastewater resulted in decreased biomass production, but significantly increased lipid content compared to S0%. The highest lipid content was recorded at S40%N with 21.2%. The Highest lipid productivity was also witnessed for S40% with 45.6 mg/Ld. The cell diameter was also found to increase with increasing salinity content in the wastewater. The addition of Fe2O3 nanoparticles in the seawater was found to enhance the productivity of the microalgae extensively, resulting in 9.2% and 6.15% increased lipid content and lipid productivity respectively compared to conventional cases. However, the inclusion of the nanoparticles slightly increased the zeta potential of microalgal colloids, with no noticeable effects on the cell diameter or bio-oil yields. Based on these findings, Chlorella vulgaris was identified as a suitable candidate for treating wastewater with high salinity exposure.

Utilizing protein nanofibrils as a scaffold for enhancing nutritional value in toned milk.

Toned milk is a lower-fat, healthier alternative to whole milk that still contains all essential nutrients. A number of methods have been developed to improve the functionality of toned milk and make it more appealing to the consumers. However, these methods often involve extensive processing techniques and can be expensive. Therefore, alternative methods are needed. Proteins are well known for their ability to form well-defined nanofibril materials that can be used as a scaffold for various applications. In this article, a straightforward self-assembly process was used to load inulin into protein nanofibrils, creating unique composite nanofibrils. Characterization using AFM and SEM revealed well-defined composite nanofibrils with an average diameter of 4-6 nm and lengths ranging from 0.25 µm up to 10 µm. FT-IR and in-vitro release assays show that inulin was successfully attached to prepared protein nanofibrils. The composite nanofibrils were tested on toned milk to enhance the physico/chemical properties and nutritional values. The findings can be applied to the food industry to create a number of novel functional food products cost-effectively.

Fungi fabrication, characterization, and anticancer activity of silver nanoparticles using metals resistant Aspergillus niger.

The purpose of this study was to assess the bio-fabrication possibilities of pre-isolated (from bauxite mine tailings) metal-tolerant Aspergillus niger biomass filtrate and the anticancer potential of synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) tested with a Human Cervical cancer cell line (HeLa cells: Henrietta Lacks cells). The nitrate reduction test demonstrated that A. niger has the ability to reduce nitrate, and filtrate derived from A. niger biomass efficiently fabricated AgNPs from AgNO3, as demonstrated by a visible color change from pale greenish to brownish. The UV-visible spectroscopy analysis revealed an absorbance peak at 435 nm, which corresponded to the AgNPs. These AgNPs have been capped and stabilized with several functional groups related to various bioactive molecules such as aldehyde, benzene rings, aldehydic, amines, alcohols, and carbonyl stretch protein molecules. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the capping and stabilizing chemical bonding pattern. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that the synthesized AgNPs were spherical, with an average size of 21.38 nm. This bio-fabricated AgNPs has in-vitro anticancer potential when tested against the HeLa cell line due to its potential size and shape. At 100 g mL-1 concentrations of this bio-fabricated AgNPs, the anticancer activity percentage was found to be 70.2%, and the IC50 value was found to be 66.32 g m-1. These findings demonstrated that the metal-tolerant A. niger cell filtrate could produce AgNPs with anticancer potential.

Arbutin exerts anticancer activity against rat C6 glioma cells by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the inflammatory markers and P13/Akt/mTOR cascade.

Gliomas are a type of brain cancer that occurs in the supporting glial cells of the brain. It is highly malignant and accounts for 80% of brain tumors with high mortality and morbidity. Phytomedicines are potent alternatives for allopathic drugs which cause side effects. They have been used from ancient times by traditional Chinese, Ayurveda, and Siddha medicine. Arubtin is a glycoside phytochemical extracted from plants and belongs to the family of Ericaceae. Arbutin possesses various pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and so on. Hence in the present study, we analyzed the anticancer potency of arbutin against rat C6 glioma cells. Rat C6 glioma cells were procured from American Type Culture Collection and the cells were cultured in Roswell Park Memorial Institute-1640 medium. To assess the cytotoxicity effect of the arbutin against C6 glioma cells, an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide test was performed with different doses from 10 to 60 µM. Arbutin effectively induced apoptosis in the cells and the IC50 dose was obtained at 30 µM. For further studies, we selected the 30 µM IC50 dose and a higher dose of 40 µM. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated were analyzed with DCFDA/H2DCFDA stain and the destruction of mitochondrial membrane permeability which is the initiator of apoptosis was analyzed with a cationic stain Rhodamine 123. Dual staining with acridine orange and ethidium bromide was performed to assess the viable and dead cells. Cell adhesion properties of glioma cells were analyzed with Matrigel assay. The apoptotic, inflammatory, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling molecules were analyzed with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis to confirm the anticancer effect of arbutin. Arbutin generated excessive ROS and disrupted the mitochondrial membrane, which induced apoptosis in cells, it also inhibited the cell adhesion property of C6 glioma cells. qPCR analysis clearly indicates arbutin increases the apoptotic genes and decreased the inflammatory and PI3K/mTOR signaling molecules. Overall, our results authentically confirm that arbutin can be a potent alternative for treating glioma.

Effect of silicon nanoparticle-based biochar on wheat growth, antioxidants and nutrients concentration under salinity stress.

Globally, salinity is an important abiotic stress in agriculture. It induced oxidative stress and nutritional imbalance in plants, resulting in poor crop productivity. Applying silicon (Si) can improve the uptake of macronutrients. On the other hand, using biochar as a soil amendment can also decrease salinity stress due to its high porosity, cation exchange capacity, and water-holding capacity. That's why the current experiment was conducted with novelty to explore the impact of silicon nanoparticle-based biochar (Si-BC) on wheat cultivated on salt-affected soil. There were 3 levels of Si-BC, i.e., control (0), 1% Si-BC1, and 2.5% Si-BC2 applied in 3 replicates under 0 and 200 mM NaCl following a completely randomized design. Results showed that treatment 2.5% Si-BC2 performed significantly better for the enhancement in shoot and root length, shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight, number of leaves, number of tillers, number of spikelets, spike length, spike fresh and dry weight compared to control under no stress and salinity stress (200 mM NaCl). A significant enhancement in chlorophyll a (~ 18%), chlorophyll b (~ 22%), total chlorophyll (~ 20%), carotenoid (~ 60%), relative water contents (~ 58%) also signified the effectiveness of treatment 2.5% Si-BC2 than control under 200 mM NaCl. In conclusion, treatment 2.5% Si-BC2 can potentially mitigate the salinity stress in wheat by regulating antioxidants and improving N, K concentration, and gas exchange attributes while decreasing Na and Cl concentration and electrolyte leakage. More investigations at the field level are recommended for the declaration of treatment 2.5% Si-BC2 as the best amendment for alleviating salinity stress in different crops under variable climatic conditions.

Functional characterisation of Dof gene family and expression analysis under abiotic stresses and melatonin-mediated tolerance in pitaya (Selenicereus undatus).

DNA binding proteins with one finger (Dof ) transcription factors are essential for seed development and defence against various biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Genomic analysis of Dof has not been determined yet in pitaya (Selenicereus undatus ). In this study, we have identified 26 Dof gene family members, renamed as HuDof-1 to HuDof-26 , and clustered them into seven subfamilies based on conserved motifs, domains, and phylogenetic analysis. The gene pairs of Dof family members were duplicated by segmental duplications that faced purifying selection, as indicated by the K a /K s ratio values. Promoter regions of HuDof genes contain many cis -acting elements related to phytohormones including abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, gibberellin, temperature, and light. We exposed pitaya plants to different environmental stresses and examined melatonin's influence on Dof gene expression levels. Signifcant expression of HuDof -2 and HuDof -6 were observed in different developmental stages of flower buds, flowers, pericarp, and pulp. Pitaya plants were subjected to abiotic stresses, and transcriptome analysis was carried out to identify the role of Dof gene family members. RNA-sequencing data and reverse transcription quantitative PCR-based expression analysis revealed three putative candidate genes (HuDof -1, HuDof -2, and HuDof -8), which might have diverse roles against the abiotic stresses. Our study provides a theoretical foundation for functional analysis through traditional and modern biotechnological tools for pitaya trait improvement.

Elicitors directed in vitro growth and production of stevioside and other secondary metabolites in Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni.

Stevia rebaudiana (stevia) is a plant in the Asteraceae that contains several biologically active compounds including the antidiabetic diterpene glycosides (e.g. stevioside, rebaudioside and dulcoside) that can serve as zero-calorie sugar alternatives. In this study, an elicitation strategy was applied using 5% polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium chloride (NaCl; 50 and 100 mM) and gibberellic acid (2.0 and 4.0 mg/L GA3) to investigate their effect on shoot morphogenesis, and the production of phenolics, flavonoids, total soluble sugars, proline and stevioside, as well as antioxidant activity, in shoot cultures of S. rebaudiana. Herewith, the media supplemented with 2 mg/L and 4 mg/L GA3 exhibited the highest shooting response (87% and 80%). The augmentation of lower concentrations of GA3 (2 mg/L) in combination with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) resulted in the maximum mean shoot length (11.1 cm). The addition of 100 mM NaCl salts to the media led to the highest observed total phenolics content (TPC; 4.11 mg/g-DW compared to the control 0.52 mg/g-DW), total flavonoids content (TFC; 1.26 mg/g-DW) and polyphenolics concentration (5.39 mg/g-DW) in shoots cultured. However, the maximum antioxidant activity (81.8%) was observed in shoots raised in media treated with 50 mM NaCl. The application of 2 mg/L of GA3 resulted in the highest accumulation of proline (0.99 µg/mL) as compared to controls (0.37 µg/mL). Maximum stevioside content (71 µL/mL) was observed in cultures supplemented with 100 mM NaCl and 5% PEG, followed by the 4 mg/L GA3 treatment (70 µL/mL) as compared to control (60 µL/mL). Positive correlation was observed between GA3 and stevioside content. Notably, these two compounds are derived from a shared biochemical pathway. These results suggest that elicitation is an effective option to enhance the accumulation of steviosides and other metabolites and provides the groundwork for future industrial scale production using bioreactors.