The feedstock anatomical properties determine biochar adsorption capacities: A study using woody bamboos (Bambuseae) and methylene blue as a model molecule.

Feedstock characteristics impact biochar physicochemical properties, and reproducible biochar properties are essential for any potential application. However, in most articles, feedstock aspects (i.e., taxonomic name of the species, part of the plant, and phenological phase) are scarcely reported. This research aimed at studying the effect of species and phenological stage of the feedstock on the properties of the derived biochars and, thus, adsorption capacities in water treatment. In this study, we analysed the anatomical characteristics of three different woody bamboo species [Guadua chacoensis (GC), Phyllostachys aurea (PA), and Bambusa tuldoides (BT)] in culms harvested at two different phenological phases (young and mature), and statistically correlated them with the characteristics of the six derived biochars, including their adsorption performance in aqueous media. Sclerenchyma fibres and parenchyma cells diameter and cell-wall width significantly differed among species. Additionally, sclerenchyma fibres and parenchyma cell-wall width as well as sclerenchyma fibre cell diameters are dependent on the phenological phase of the culms. Consequently, differences in biochar characteristics (i.e., yield and average pore diameter) were also observed, leading to differential methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacities between individuals at different phenological phases. MB adsorption capacities were higher for biochar produced from young culms compared to those obtained from matures ones (i.e., GC: 628.66 vs. 507.79; BT: 537.45 vs. 477.53; PA: 477.52 vs. 462.82 mg/g), which had smaller cell wall widths leading to a lower percentage of biochar yield. The feedstock anatomical properties determined biochar characteristics which modulated adsorption capacities.

Changes in primary metabolite content may affect thrips feeding preference in soybean crops.

Past research has characterized the induction of plant defenses in response to chewing insect damage. However, little is known about plant responses to piercing-sucking insects that feed on plant cell-contents like thrips (Caliothrips phaseoli). In this study, we used NMR spectroscopy to measure metabolite changes in response to six days of thrips damage from two field-grown soybean cultivars (cv.), known for their different susceptibility to Caliothrips phaseoli. We observed that thrips damage reduces sucrose concentration in both cultivars, while pinitol, the most abundant leaf soluble carbohydrate, is induced in cv. Charata but not in cv. Williams. Thrips did not show preference for leaves where sucrose or pinitol were externally added, at tested concentration. In addition, we also noted that cv. Charata was less naturally colonized and contained higher levels of trigonelline, tyrosine as well as several compounds that we have not yet identified. We have established that preference-feeding clues are not dependent on the plants major soluble carbohydrates but may depend on other types of compounds or leaf physical characteristics.

Household arsenic contaminated water treatment employing iron oxide/bamboo biochar composite: An approach to technology transfer.

Commercialization of novel adsorbents technology for providing safe drinking water must consider scale-up methodological approaches to bridge the gap between laboratory and industrial applications. These imply complex matrix analysis and large-scale experiment designs. Arsenic concentrations up to 200-fold higher (2000 µg/L) than the WHO safe drinking limit (10 µg/L) have been reported in Latin American drinking waters. In this work, biochar was developed from a single, readily available, and taxonomically identified woody bamboo species, Guadua chacoensis. Raw biochar (BC) from slow pyrolysis (700 °C for 1 h) and its analog containing chemically precipitated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (BC-Fe) were produced. BC-Fe performed well in fixed-bed column sorption. Predicted model capacities ranged from 8.2 to 7.5 mg/g and were not affected by pH 5-9 shift. The effect of competing matrix chemicals including sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, chloride, acetate, dichromate, carbonate, fluoride, selenate, and molybdate ions (each at 0.01 mM, 0.1 mM and 1 mM) was evaluated. Fe3O4 enhanced the adsorption of arsenate as well as phosphate, molybdate, dichromate and selenate. With the exception of nitrate, individually competing ions at low concentration (0.01 mM) did not significantly inhibit As(V) sorption onto BC-Fe. The presence of ten different ions in low concentrations (0.01 mM) did not exert much influence and BC-Fe's preference for arsenate, and removal remained above 90%. The batch and column BC and BC-Fe adsorption capacities and their ability to provide safe drinking water were evaluated using a naturally contaminated tap water (165 ± 5 µg/L As). A 960 mL volume (203.8 Bed Volumes) of As-free drinking water was collected from a 1 g BC-Fe fixed bed. Adsorbent regeneration was attempted with (NH4)2SO4, KOH, or K3PO4 (1 M) strippers. Potassium phosphate performed the best for BC-Fe regeneration. Safe disposal options for the exhausted adsorbents are proposed. Adsorbents and their As-laden analogues (from single and multi-component mixtures) were characterized using high resolution XPS and possible competitive interactions and adsorption pathways and attractive interactions were proposed including electrostatic attractions, hydrogen bonding and weak chemisorption to BC phenolics. Stoichiometric precipitation of metal (Mg, Ca and Fe) oxyanion (phosphate, molybdate, selenate and chromate) insoluble compounds is considered. The use of a packed BC-Fe cartridge to provide As-free drinking water is presented for potential commercial use. BC-Fe is an environmentally friendly and potentially cost-effective adsorbent to provide arsenic-free household water.

Assessing South American Guadua chacoensis bamboo biochar and Fe3O4 nanoparticle dispersed analogues for aqueous arsenic(V) remediation.

Discarded bamboo culms of Guadua chacoensis were used for biochar remediation of aqueous As(V). Raw biochar (BC), activated biochar (BCA), raw Fe3O4 nanoparticle-covered biochar (BC-Fe), and activated biochar covered with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (BCA-Fe) were prepared, characterized and tested for As(V) aqueous adsorption. The goal is to develop an economic, viable, and sustainable adsorbent to provide safe arsenic-free water. Adsorbents were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements (SBET), point of zero charge determinations (PZC), and elemental analysis. Activation with KOH increased the O/C ratio and the surface area of BC from 6.7 m2/g to 1239.7 m2/g (BCA). As(V) sorption equilibrium was achieved within <2 h for all four adsorbents and kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model. At a 10 mg/L initial As(V) concentration, BC-Fe achieved a 100% removal (5 mg/g) over a pH 5 to 9 window. Sorption was endothermic on all four adsorbents and the capacities rose with the increasing temperature. Langmuir capacities at 40 °C for BC, BCA, BC-Fe, and BCA-Fe were 256, 217, 457, and 868 mg/g, respectively, and capacities were compared with other sorbents. Breakthrough fixed-bed column sorption was carried out for BC and BC-Fe producing 6.6 mg/g and 13.9 mg/g bed capacities, respectively. Potassium phosphate was a better As stripping agent than sodium bicarbonate. Performance of the adsorbents in an As(V)-spiked natural water and a naturally As(V)-contaminated domestic water were assessed. Robust arsenate sequestration occurred generating As-safe water (As <0.01 mg/L), despite the presence of competing ions. Stoichiometric precipitation of iron-arsenate complexes triggered by iron dissolution was also established.

Solar UV-B radiation and ethylene play a key role in modulating effective defenses against Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae in field-grown soybean.

Solar UV-B radiation has been reported to enhance plant defenses against herbivore insects in many species. However, the mechanism and traits involved in the UV-B mediated increment of plant resistance are unknown in crops species, such as soybean. Here, we studied defense-related responses in undamaged and Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae-damaged leaves of two soybean cultivars grown under attenuated or full solar UV-B radiation. We determined changes in jasmonates, ethylene (ET), salicylic acid, trypsin protease inhibitor activity, flavonoids, and mRNA expression of genes related with defenses. ET emission induced by Anticarsia gemmatalis damage was synergistically increased in plants grown under solar UV-B radiation and was positively correlated with malonyl genistin concentration, trypsin proteinase inhibitor activity and expression of IFS2, and the pathogenesis protein PR2, while was negatively correlated with leaf consumption. The precursor of ET, aminocyclopropane-carboxylic acid, applied exogenously to soybean was sufficient to strongly induce leaf isoflavonoids. Our results showed that in field-grown soybean isoflavonoids were regulated by both herbivory and solar UV-B inducible ET, whereas flavonols were regulated by solar UV-B radiation only and not by herbivory or ET. Our study suggests that, although ET can modulate UV-B-mediated priming of inducible plant defenses, some plant defenses, such as isoflavonoids, are regulated by ET alone.

Solar UV-B radiation modulates chemical defenses against Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae in leaves of field-grown soybean.

Although it is well known that solar ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation enhances plant defenses, there is less knowledge about traits that define insect resistance in field-grown soybean. Here we study the effects of solar UV-B radiation on: a) the induction of phenolic compounds and trypsin proteinase inhibitors (TPI) in soybean undamaged leaves or damaged by Anticarsia gemmatalis neonates during six days, and b) the survival and mass gain of A. gemmatalis larvae that fed on soybean foliage. Two soybean cultivars (cv.), Charata and Williams, were grown under plastic with different transmittance to solar UV-B radiation, which generated two treatments: ambient UV-B (UVB+) and reduced UV-B (UVB-) radiation. Solar UV-B radiation decreased survivorship by 30% and mass gain by 45% of larvae that fed on cv. Charata, but no effect was found in those larvae that fed on cv. Williams. TPI activity and malonyl genistin were induced by A. gemmatalis damage in both cultivars, but solar UV-B radiation and damage only synergistically increased the induction of these compounds in cv. Williams. Although TPI activity and genistein derivatives were induced by herbivory, these results did not explain the differences found in survivorship and mass gain of larvae that fed on cv. Charata. However, we found a positive association between lower larval performance and the presence of two quercetin triglycosides and a kaempferol triglycoside in foliage of cv. Charata, which were identified by HPLC-DAD/MS2. We conclude that exclusion of solar UV-B radiation reduce resistance to A. gemmatalis, due to a reduction in flavonol concentration in a cultivar that has low levels of genistein derivatives like cv. Charata.

Soybean resistance to stink bugs (Nezara viridula and Piezodorus guildinii) increases with exposure to solar UV-B radiation and correlates with isoflavonoid content in pods under field conditions.

Solar UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) has a significant influence on trophic relationships in natural and managed ecosystems, affecting plant-insect interactions. We explored the effects of ambient UV-B radiation on the levels of herbivory by stink bugs (Nezara viridula and Piezodorus guildinii) in field-grown soybean crops. The experiments included two levels of UV-B radiation (ambient and attenuated UV-B) and four soybean cultivars known to differ in their content of soluble leaf phenolics. Ambient UV-B radiation increased the accumulation of the isoflavonoids daidzin and genistin in the pods of all cultivars. Soybean crops grown under attenuated UV-B had higher numbers of unfilled pods and damaged seeds than crops grown under ambient UV-B radiation. Binary choice experiments with soybean branches demonstrated that stink bugs preferred branches of the attenuated UV-B treatment. We found a positive correlation between percentage of undamaged seeds and the contents of daidzin and genistin in pods. Our results suggest that constitutive and UV-B-induced isoflavonoids increase plant resistance to stink bugs under field conditions.

Soil quality effects on Chenopodium album flavonoid content and antioxidant potential.

Antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and flavonoid glycosides profile were compared in C.album samples grown in intensively cultivated (IC) and nondisturbed (ND) soils to evaluate differences in their nutraceutical potential. Petroleum ether, methanol, and aqueous extracts were sequentially obtained from C. album dried samples. Methanol crude extract exhibited the highest antioxidant potential and phenolic content, which were significantly enhanced by soil deterioration. This feature was enhanced in its ethyl acetate/n-buthanol subextract that also yielded higher amounts of the fraction containing flavonoid glycosides in samples grown in IC soils. Compounds were isolated by activity guided fractionation, and chemical structure-antioxidant activity relationships were established. Chemical structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Six known flavonoid glycosides were isolated, and their antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH assay. 1, quercetin-3-O-(2",6"-di-O-R-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside; 2, kaempferol-3-O-(2",6"-di-O-R-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside; 3, quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1'''-->6")-beta-D-glucopyranoside; 4, rutin; 5, quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside; and 6, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside. Triosides 1 and 2 were identified for the first time in C. album. Our results suggest that this edible weed, ubiquitously present in cultivated fields, should be considered as a nutraceutical food and an alternative source for nutrients and free radical scavenging compounds, particularly when collected from cultivated fields that seem to increase some of its advantages.

Minutosides A and B, antifungal sulfated steroid xylosides from the patagonian starfish Anasterias minuta.

Two new sulfated polyhydroxylated steroidal xylosides, minutosides A (1) and B (2), together with the known pycnopodioside B (3), have been isolated from the brine shrimp active fraction of the ethanolic extract of the starfish Anasterias minuta. The structures have been elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D NMR as well as FABMS analysis and chemical methods. Compound 2 is the first example of a polyhydroxylated steroidal xyloside containing an amide function in the aglycon side chain. The three xylosides exhibited antifungal activity against Cladosporium cucumerinum and Aspergillus flavus.

Anasterocerebroside A, a new glucosylceramide from the Patagonian starfish Anasterias minuta.

Eight glucosylceramides (1-8) were isolated from the water-insoluble lipid fraction of a methylene chloride/methanol/water extract of the Patagonian starfish Anasterias minuta. One of the constituents was identified as a new glucosylceramide, anasterocerebroside A (1), while the known glucosylceramide 7 was isolated and characterized for the first time as a pure compound. The structures of 1 and 7 were established by spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Cytotoxic and antifungal triterpene glycosides from the Patagonian sea cucumber Hemoiedema spectabilis.

Two new sulfated triterpene glycosides, hemoiedemosides A (1) and B (2), have been isolated from the Patagonian sea cucumber Hemoiedema spectabilis. Their structures have been established by a combination of spectroscopic analysis (NMR and FABMS) and chemical transformations. Both glycosides present the same aglycon and differ in the degree of sulfation of the tetrasaccharide chain. Hemoiedemoside B (2) is a new example of a small number of trisulfated triterpene glycosides from sea cucumbers belonging to the family Cucumariidae. Glycosides 1 and 2 exhibit considerable antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum, while the semisynthetic desulfated derivative 1a is less active.

Antifungal steroidal glycosides from the patagonian starfish anasteriasminuta: structure-activity correlations.

Two new sulfated steroidal hexaglycosides, anasterosides A (2) and B (3), along with the known versicoside A (1) have been isolated from the Patagonian starfish Anasterias minuta. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (NMR and FABMS) and chemical transformations. Compounds 1 and 2 and the synthetic pentaglycoside 1b derived from versicoside A showed antifungal activity against the plant pathogenic fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum. Desulfation of hexaglycoside 1 rendered a totally inactive saponin.