Mitigation of water stress in broccoli by soil application of humic acid.

The main challenge to plant productivity is water scarcity, which is predicted to get worse with climate change, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. Humic acid could improve plant tolerance to mitigate drought damage, which is an effective strategy to improve crop production and agriculture sustainability under limited water conditions in these regions, but its effective application rates should also be established. Thus, two field experiments were carried out at the Qaha Vegetable Research Farm in Qalubia Governorate, Egypt, during the two seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 on clay soil. The present study investigated the effect of three rates of humic acid application (0, 4.8, and 9.6 kg ha-1) on growth, yield, and quality of broccoli cv. Montop F1 hybrid under well-watered and drought conditions. Drought was induced by missing alternate irrigation. Soluble humic acid as potassium-humate was applied three times with irrigation water at the time of the first three irrigations of drought treatment. Water-stressed plants had a decrease in growth, yield, leaf chlorophyll, and nutrient content, while they showed an increase in the contents of leaf proline and curd dry matter and total soluble solids as well as water use efficiency, in both seasons. Soil application of humic acid was effective in mitigating the adverse effects of water deficit stress on the growth and yield of broccoli. Water-stressed plants had the highest WUE value (9.32 and 9.36 kg m3-1 in the first and second seasons, respectively) when the maximal humic acid rate was applied. Humic acid at a high level (9.6 kg ha-1) had the most promising results and represents an opportunity that must be applied to improve broccoli yield and its production sustainability in arid and semiarid regions.

Morphological, Biochemical, and Molecular Diversity Assessment of Egyptian Bottle Gourd Cultivars.

The genetic variability and relationships between ten bottle gourd cultivars were evaluated based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. The results displayed high variability among selected cultivars in terms of photosynthetic pigments, total free amino acids, total phenol content, isozymes pattern, and protein electrophoresis. Furthermore, differences in molecular markers were revealed by the SCoT technique. The peroxidase (POD) and polyphenyl oxidase (PPO) isozymes patterns did not detect significant differences in bands among cultivars. The protein patterns revealed seventeen bands ranging from 126 to 9 kDa and five polymorphic bands representing 29.41%. On the other hand, eight SCoT primers were used to evaluate the genetic variability and relationships between the ten Egyptian bottle gourd cultivars. The results of SCoT analysis detected 44 amplicons with 50% polymorphism. In addition, the results of the phylogenetic tree that is constructed based on the similarity coefficient revealed by SCoT analysis confirm the results of biochemical analysis indicating a genetic relationship between the most efficient bottle gourd cultivars (S1 and S2 cultivars). In addition, there is a genetic relationship among the less efficient bottle gourd cultivars (S4 and S5 cultivars). These results could be beneficial to distinguish among bottle gourd cultivars in the plant breeding programs.

Effect of water stress and foliar application of chitosan and glycine betaine on lettuce.

The present study investigated the effect of foliar application of chitosan at 150 ppm and glycine betaine at 700 ppm on lettuce plants cv. Balady grown under well-watered and water deficit conditions in terms of growth, yield, quality, and water usage efficiency. The study was conducted in Qalubia Governorate, Egypt, during the two seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 on clay soil. Results indicated that water-stressed plants had a reduction in plant fresh weight, plant height, leaf area, and total yield, chlorophyll content and relative water content, while they exhibited an increase in total soluble solids, nitrate, and proline contents as well as water-use efficiency in both seasons. The foliar application of chitosan or glycine betaine to lettuce significantly improved plant performance under limited and normal irrigation conditions in comparison with untreated plants. The maximum positive effect was for chitosan foliar application. Overall, the results of this study indicated that foliar application of chitosan or glycine betaine was a substitute technology for improving the lettuce yield and quality as well as increasing water use efficiency under both irrigation regimes, but may be more efficient in lettuce plants subjected to a water deficit.

Effect of citric acid on phytoextraction potential of Cucurbita pepo, Lagenaria siceraria, and Raphanus sativus plants exposed to multi-metal stress.

Phytoextraction is a novel technique that involves using plants to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils. An outdoor pot experiment was designed to evaluate the phytoextraction potential of three plant species Cucurbita pepo, Lagenaria siceraria, and Raphanus sativus in soil contaminated with multiple metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) under the application of citric acid. The results showed that Raphanus sativus, out of all the studied plants, had the highest root and shoot dry weight and the capacity to accumulate all heavy metals at higher concentrations except for Cu. The application of citric acid into the polluted soil significantly increased plant growth, biomass, and heavy metal uptake. High bioconcentration values indicate that Raphanus sativus is a promising plant for absorbing and accumulating Cd and Ni from the soil. The maximum values of bioconcentration were also observed by the application of citric acid. The values of metal translocation from the root to the shoot were varied by plant species and the citric acid application. Regarding the biomass, metal content, as well as removal metal percentage values, it became apparent that the Raphanus sativus plant was the most effective crop in removing heavy metals from multi-metal contaminated Soil. Generally, these findings emphasize that the application of citric acid could be a useful approach to assist Cd and Ni phytoextraction by Raphanus sativus plants. When these plants are growing as vegetable crops, more attention should be given to evaluating the heavy metal content in them, especially when adding citric acid to their soil through fertigation systems to avoid food chain contamination.

Effects of biochar, zeolite and mycorrhiza inoculation on soil properties, heavy metal availability and cowpea growth in a multi-contaminated soil.

Heavy metal pollution of agricultural soil has become a major serious concern. The development of suitable control and remediation strategies for heavy metal contaminated soil has become critical. The outdoor pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of biochar, zeolite, and mycorrhiza on the bioavailability reduction of heavy metals and its subsequent effects on soil properties and bioaccumulation in plants as well as the growth of cowpea grown in highly polluted soil. Zeolite, biochar, mycorrhiza, zeolite with mycorrhiza, biochar with mycorrhiza, and soil without any modifications were the six treatments used. The experiment was conducted with a completely randomized design and four replications. The results indicated that the combination of biochar with mycorrhiza had the highest values of root and shoot dry weight and the lowest heavy metal concentrations in root and shoot as well as bioconcentration and translocation factors for all heavy metals. The highest significant reductions in the availability of heavy metals over the control were found with biochar with mycorrhiza, which were 59.1%, 44.3%, 38.0%, 69.7%, 77.8%, 77.2% and 73.6% for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. The application of biochar and zeolite either alone or in combination with mycorrhiza increased significantly soil pH and EC compared to mycorrhiza treatment and untreated soil. It can be concluded that the combination of biochar and mycorrhizal inoculation has great potential as a cost-effective and environmentally technique for enhancing heavy metal immobilization, lowering heavy metal availability and plant uptake, and improving cowpea plant growth.

Cardamom oil ameliorates behavioral and neuropathological disorders in a rat model of depression induced by reserpine.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Depression is a public health problem. Despite the availability of treatment options, its prevalence is increasing. A high rate of treatment failure is often reported, along with considerable side effects associated with synthetic antidepressants. Therefore, developing effective and safe antidepressants from traditional herbs or natural products as an alternative strategy is warranted to avoid side effects and increase drug efficacy. In traditional medicine, cardamom has traditionally been used to treat conditions like asthma, tooth and gum infections, cataracts, nausea, diarrhea, and even depression and anxiety as well as some problems with the heart, kidneys, and digestive system. AIM OF THE STUDY: The current study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant activity of cardamom oil in a rat model of depression induced by reserpine and compare it with the activity of the antidepressant drug fluoxetine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Depression-like symptoms were induced in male rats by daily i. p. injection of reserpine (0.2 mg/kg/d for 15 d followed by 0.1 mg/kg/d for 21 d to maintain the depressive state), and the rats were treated with cardamom oil (oral dose = 200 mg/kg/d) for 21 d along with the maintenance dose of reserpine. We performed behavioral tests (forced swimming test and open-field test) and evaluated biochemical markers of depression. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that cardamom oil attenuated depression-like symptoms in reserpine-injected rats by improving the behavioral changes measured by the forced swimming test and the locomotor activities measured by the open-field test. In reserpine-injected rats, cardamom oil exerted antidepressant-like effects by modulating lower levels of brain monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine), GSH, and higher oxido-nitrosative stress parameters (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide). Moreover, cardamom oil alleviated depression-like behaviors by lowering monoamine oxidase activity and raising the activities of Na+/K+-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase and levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the cortex and hippocampus. CONCLUSION: We recommend the use of cardamom oil as a safe and reliable treatment or an adjuvant for preventing depression-like symptoms in patients suffering from depression.

Screening and assessing of pesticide residues and their health risks in vegetable field soils from the Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt.

The harmful effects of pesticide misuse on human health and the environment have become evident; so, this study aimed to monitor pesticide residues in soils of vegetable fields collected from the Eastern Nile Delta region, Egypt and to assess the potential health risks associated with them. Pesticide residues were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Obtained results revealed that 100% of collected samples were contaminated with pesticides; residues of 33 compounds were detected in analyzed samples belonging to different chemical groups. Most detected pesticides (44%) were non-persistent and 40% were moderately persistent. While 1313% and 3% were persistent and very persistent compounds, respectively. Also, 36.7% and 30% of samples have two and three pesticides. Chlorpyrifos and propamocarb were the most dominant compounds that had widespread use across the study area. The number of detected pesticides per crop ranged from 1 to 16 (potato soil), followed by cucumber and tomato (13 pesticides), while one compound was detected in sweet potato soil. Soil organic matter content had a positive correlation with the total concentration of pesticide residues; however, no correlations were found with soil clay, pH and electrical conductivity contents. The human health risks of pesticides in the study soils were within acceptable levels. However, more attention should be paid in the future to decreasing the pesticide load and take place pesticide residue monitoring on vegetable soils.

Sensitivity and specificity of microRNA-204, CA125, and CA19.9 as biomarkers for diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is usually detected at later stages and no effective screening approach, has been identified. Therefore, sensitive and specific biomarkers for detecting ovarian cancer are urgently needed. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of six biomarkers for the early clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer. SUBJECTS & METHODS: The study included 120 patients (benign ovarian tumors and early and late ovarian carcinoma) and 30 control healthy volunteers. MiRNA-204, CA125, CA19.9, hepcidin, microfibril-associated glycoprotein 2, and ferroportin levels were determined in all patients and control volunteers. RESULTS: The combined area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for miRNA-204, CA125, and CA19.9 were 0.938, 1.000, and 0.998 for benign tumors and early and late ovarian carcinomas, respectively. The sensitivities of miRNA-204, CA125, and CA19.9 were 98.04%, 100.00%, and 96.19% and the specificities were 58.33%, 62.50%, and 57.78%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The positive predictivity of miRNA-204, CA125, and CA19.9 for ovarian cancer is high (59.57%, 58.24%, and 61.67%, respectively). Thus, the combination of these three biomarkers is a good diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer.

Pollution and health risk assessment of trace metal in vegetable field soils in the Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt.

The accumulation of trace metals in vegetable field soils is of increasing worry because of the potential health hazards and their detrimental effects on soil ecosystems. To investigate the state of trace metal pollution in vegetable field soils, 60 surface soil samples were collected from vegetable fields across the Eastern Nile Delta region, Egypt. The results concluded that the concentrations of Cu, Mn, and Ni were lesser than their corresponding background values, while the concentrations of Cd, Co, Pb, and Zn were exceeding their background values. The pollution indices showed that the studied soil experienced low to moderate contamination and the Cd and Cr contamination was serious. The hazard index values of nine trace metals signified that there was no adverse non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children. The carcinogenic risk of Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb for both age groups was within acceptable limits, while Cr had critical carcinogenic hazards for children. Overall, the quality of studied soils is relatively safe, although some samples impose serious pollution problems of Cd and Cr. Thus, properly monitored trace metals and soil management action should be applied to reduce further soil pollution in vegetable fields in the Eastern Nile Delta.

Antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extracts of miswak (Salvadora persica) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) on depression-like behaviors using CUMS model in male rats.

This study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extracts of miswak (Salvadora persica) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and their combination on depression-like behaviors using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression and to investigate the underlying possible mechanisms. Results showed that CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and anxiety in male rats, as determined by behavioral tests (FST, EPM, and OFT). CUMS significantly increased the levels of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), cortisol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6), in addition to enhancing acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) activity while plasma total antioxidant capacity and serotonin level were reduced. In the prefrontal cortex, CUMS decreased the expression of CREB and BDNF mRNA. However, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm and their combination effectively ameliorated depressive-like behaviors, body weight loss, and oxidative stress induced by CUMS and restored serotonin and cortisol secretion to normal levels. Furthermore, the studied extracts improved the levels of plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines and CREB and BDNF mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex. In conclusion, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm have significant antidepressant-like effects on depression-like behaviors in CUMS model in rats. Moreover, their combination has higher antidepressant-like effects than either extract alone, suggesting that it may be an effective treatment for stress-induced depression-like behaviors acting through modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and CREB/BDNF signaling pathway in the prefrontal cortex. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chronic stress is a major contributor to the development of depression. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of herbal remedies for the treatment of a variety of diseases, particularly mood disorders. Because of the side effects encountered by antidepressant drugs such as anxiety, sexual dysfunction, loss of appetite, and inadequate response or developing tolerance to these medications, there is a need for more efficient and convenient antidepressant treatments. According to this study, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm are effective treatments for stress-induced depression-like behaviors.

Suppression of inflammatory cascades via novel cinnamic acid nanoparticles in acute hepatitis rat model.

Hepatitis was characterized by extreme inflammation and hepatocellular damage. Therefore, the current study aimed to gain insights into the modulation role of Cinnamic acid nanoparticles (CANPs) against acute hepatitis induced by d-Galactosamine and gamma radiation exposure (D-Gal/radiation) in the rat model and to suggest the implied molecular mechanism of CANPs. Acute hepatitis seriousness and the serum enzyme activities of ALT, AST, and ALP have been diminished upon oral administration of CANPs. Besides, the hepatic tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) have been significantly decreased, and the total antioxidant activity (TAO) depletion was extremely restored. Furthermore, the reduction of hepatic damage caused by pretreatment with CANPs was accompanied by significant suppression in the levels of hepatic proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-18), NF-κB, NLRP3, caspase-1 and proapoptotic protein BAX whereas anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 level significantly elevated as compared with D-Gal/radiation-induced acute hepatitis (AH) group. Also, CANPs suppress the D-Gal/radiation-induced IL-1ß, IL-18, and ASK1 mRNA gene expression and the protein expression of TLR4 and MyD88 in the hepatic tissue. These biochemical parameters are confirmed by histological examination of the liver tissues. The present results indicated that CANPs can protect the hepatic cells from damage by both its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant influence as well as by modulating oxidation cellular pathways that have contributed to the acute severity of hepatitis. Also, CANPs is capable of suppressing apoptosis. Consequently, Nanoparticles of Cinnamic acid have the medicinal ability to protect the liver from acute hepatitis.

Seed priming to alleviate salinity stress in germinating seeds.

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that affect crop production in arid and semiarid areas. Seed germination and seedling growth are the stages most sensitive to salinity. Salt stress causes adverse physiological and biochemical changes in germinating seeds. It can affect the seed germination and stand establishment through osmotic stress, ion-specific effects and oxidative stress. The salinity delays or prevents the seed germination through various factors, such as a reduction in water availability, changes in the mobilization of stored reserves and affecting the structural organization of proteins. Various techniques can improve emergence and stand establishment under salt conditions. One of the most frequently utilized is seed priming. The process of seed priming involves prior exposure to an abiotic stress, making a seed more resistant to future exposure. Seed priming stimulates the pre-germination metabolic processes and makes the seed ready for radicle protrusion. It increases the antioxidant system activity and the repair of membranes. These changes promote seed vigor during germination and emergence under salinity stress. The aim of this paper is to review the recent literature on the response of plants to seed priming under salinity stress. The mechanism of the effect of salinity on seed germination is discussed and the seed priming process is summarized. Physiological, biochemical and molecular changes induced by priming that lead to seed enhancement are covered. Plants' responses to some priming agents under salinity stress are reported based on the best available data. For a great number of crops, little information exists and further research is needed.