Facile synthesis of iron nanoparticles from Camellia Sinensis leaves catalysed for biodiesel synthesis from Azolla filiculoides.

Recent years have seen an increase in research on biodiesel, an environmentally benign and renewable fuel alternative for traditional fossil fuels. Biodiesel might become more cost-effective and competitive with diesel if a solid heterogeneous catalyst is used in its production. One way to make biodiesel more affordable and competitive with diesel is to employ a solid heterogeneous catalyst in its manufacturing. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the researchers in this study proved their hypothesis that iron oxide core-shell nanoparticles were generated during the green synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles (FeNPs) from Camellia Sinensis leaves. The fabrication of spherical iron nanoparticles was successfully confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a heterogeneous catalyst, the synthesised catalyst has shown potential in facilitating the conversion of algae oil into biodiesel. With the optimal parameters (0.5 weight percent catalytic load, 1:6 oil-methanol ratio, 60 °C reaction temperature, and 1 h and 30 min reaction duration), a 93.33% yield was attained. This may be due to its acid-base property, chemical stability, stronger metal support interaction. Furthermore, the catalyst was employed for transesterification reactions five times after regeneration with n-hexane washing followed by calcination at 650 °C for 3 h.

HY5 and PIF antagonistically regulate HMGR expression and sterol biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Secondary metabolites play multiple crucial roles in plants by modulating various regulatory networks. The biosynthesis of these compounds is unique to each species and is intricately controlled by a range of developmental and environmental factors. While light's role in certain secondary metabolites is evident, its impact on sterol biosynthesis remains unclear. Previous studies indicate that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5), a bZIP transcription factor, is pivotal in skotomorphogenesis to photomorphogenesis transition. Additionally, PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs (PIFs), bHLH transcription factors, act as negative regulators. To unveil the light-dependent regulation of the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway, a precursor for sterol biosynthesis, mutants of light signaling components, specifically hy5-215 and the pifq quadruple mutant (pif 1,3,4, and 5), were analyzed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Gene expression analysis in wild-type and mutants implicates HY5 and PIFs in regulating sterol biosynthesis genes. DNA-protein interaction analysis confirms their interaction with key genes like AtHMGR2 in the rate-limiting pathway. Results strongly suggest HY5 and PIFs' pivotal role in light-dependent MVA pathway regulation, including the sterol biosynthetic branch, in Arabidopsis, highlighting a diverse array of light signaling components finely tuning crucial growth pathways.

HY5-dependent light-mediated regulation of galactinol synthase gene, AtGolS1, modulates galactinol biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

The Raffinose Family of Oligosaccharides (RFOs), including Galactinol, Raffinose, and Stachyose, are pivotal carbohydrates with significant roles in abiotic stress tolerance and growth within dynamic environments. Plant development is profoundly influenced by light, a major environmental signal. Despite this, the interconnections between the biosynthesis of secondary sugars and light signaling have remained unexplored. This study reveals that exposure to light induces the expression of Galactinol synthase (AtGolS1), a key enzyme in the RFO biosynthesis pathway. The light-inducible response of AtGolS1 operates downstream of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), a central regulator in light signaling. Mutant seedlings with disrupted HY5 function (hy5-215) exhibit reduced AtGolS1 transcript accumulation compared to wild-type (WT) and HY5 overexpression seedlings. DNA-protein interaction studies demonstrate that HY5 directly binds to light-responsive cis-elements in the promoter region of AtGolS1, thereby mediating its light responsiveness. Quantification of galactinol revealed a diminished accumulation in the hy5-215 mutant compared to wild-type (WT) and HY5 overexpression seedlings. Consequently, these findings shed light on the intricate crosstalk between RFO biosynthesis and light signaling in Arabidopsis.

Salicylate and jasmonate intertwine in ROS-triggered chloroplast-to-nucleus retrograde signaling.

Plants, being sessile, are frequently exposed to environmental perturbations, affecting their sustenance and survival. In response, distinct inherent mechanisms emerged during plant evolution to deal with environmental stresses. Among various organelles, chloroplast plays an indispensable role in plant cells. Besides providing the site for photosynthesis and biosynthesis of many important primary and secondary metabolites, including hormones, chloroplasts also act as environmental sensors. Any environmental perturbation directly influences the photosynthetic electron transport chain, leading to excess accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing oxidative damages to biomolecules in the vicinity. To prevent excess ROS accumulation and the consequent oxidative damages, the chloroplast activates retrograde signaling (RS) pathways to reprogramme nuclear gene expression, defining plant's response to stress. Based on levels and site of ROS accumulation, distinct biomolecules are oxidized, generating specific derivatives that act as genuine signaling molecules, triggering specific RS pathways to instigate distinctive responses, including growth inhibition, acclimation, and programmed cell death. Though various RS pathways independently modulate nuclear gene expression, they also implicate the defense hormone salicylic acid (SA) and oxylipins, including 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) and jasmonic acid (JA), by promoting their biosynthesis and utilizing them for intra- and intercellular communications. Several studies reported the involvement of both hormones in individual RS pathways, but the precise dissection of their activation and participation in a given RS pathway remains an enigma. The present review describes the current understanding of how SA and JA intertwine in ROS-triggered RS pathways. We have also emphasized the future perspectives for elucidating stress specificity and spatiotemporal accumulation of respective hormones in a given RS pathway.

Endosperm: thermal sensor and regulator of seed thermoinhibition.

Seed thermoinhibition protects emerging seedlings from thermodamage by preventing seed germination at elevated temperatures. It had remained unknown how a seed fine-tunes its germination in response to temperature. Recently, Piskurewicz et al. demonstrated that endosperm phyB senses increased temperature, thereby facilitating PIF3-mediated abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation to inhibit germination and embryo elongation.

Deep insights into kinetics, optimization and thermodynamic estimates of methylene blue adsorption from aqueous solution onto coffee husk (Coffee arabica) activated carbon.

In the current study, an attempt was made to synthesize coffee husk (CH) activated carbon by chemical modification approach (sulphuric acid-activated CH (SACH) activated carbon) and was used as a valuable and economical sorbent for plausible remediation of Methylene blue (MB) dye. Batch mode trials were carried out by carefully varying the batch experimental variables: SACH activated carbon (SACH AC) dosage, pH, initial dye concentration, temperature, and contact time. The optimum equilibrium time for adsorption by SACH activated carbon was obtained as 60 min, and the maximum adsorption took place at 30 °C. Morphological and elemental composition, crystallinity behaviour, functional groups, and thermal stability were examined using SEM with EDX, XRD, FTIR, BET, TGA, and DTA and these tests showed successful production of activated carbon. The outcomes showed that chemical activation enhanced the number of pores and roughness which possibly maximized the adsorptive potential of coffee husk. The Box-Benken design (BBD) was used to optimize the MB dye adsorption studies and 99.48% MB dye removed at SACH AC dosage of 4.83 g/L at 30 °C for 60 min and pH 8.12, and the maximum adsorption was yielded for sulphuric acid-activated coffee husk carbon carbon with 88.1 mg/g maximum MB adsorption capacity. Langmuir- Freundlich model deliberately provided a better fit to the equilibrium data. The SACH AC-MB dye system kinetics showed a high goodness-of-fit with pseudo second order model, compared to other studied models. Change in Gibbs's free energy (ΔGo) of the system indicated spontaneity whereas low entropy value (ΔSo) suggested that the removal of MB dye on the SACH activated carbon was an enthalpy-driven process. The exothermic nature of the sorption cycle was affirmed by the negative enthalpy value (ΔHo). The adsorptive-desorptive studies reveal that SACH AC could be restored with the maximum adsorption efficiency being conserved after the fifth cycles. Overall, the outcomes revealed that sulphuric acid-activated coffee husk activated carbon (SACH AC) can be used as prompt alternative for low-cost sorbent for treating dye-laden synthetic wastewaters.

Use of activated Chromolaena odorata biomass for the removal of crystal violet from aqueous solution: kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic study.

In the present study, biomass from the Chromolaena odorata plant's stem was activated using sulfuric acid to adsorb crystal violet (CV) dye. The adsorption operation of CV dye was studied considering the effect of variables like pH, initial dye concentration, time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. The pseudo-second-order equation best fitted the kinetic study. The thermodynamic parameters such as activation energy (9.56 kJ/mol), change in Gibbs energy (81.43 to 96.7 kJ/mol), enthalpy change (6.89 kJ/mol), and entropy change (-254.4 J/mol K) were calculated. Response surface methodology estimated that at pH (4.902), adsorbent dosage (8.33 g/L), dye concentration (82.30 ppm), and temperature (300.13 K) dye removal of 97.53% is possible. FTIR, SEM, XRD, BJH, and BET confirmed adsorption operation. The adsorbent can be reused for 3 cycles effectively. Langmuir isotherm which best fitted the adsorption operation was used for designing a theoretical single-stage batch adsorber for large-scale operation.

Versatile image processing technique for fuel science: A review.

The evolution of computer vision and image processing system paved the way that any technologists can extract quantitative data sets from the visual results of an image. Digital image processing (DIP) technique precisely measures and quantifies the image and eliminates the subjectivity of manual interpretation. DIP is a non-destructive, inexpensive and rapid method that has been used by many researchers in various applications of biofuel. In fuel science, DIP and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been successfully applied for the classification of biodiesel, selection of biomass for biofuel production. DIP can be used in the combustion process and its control parameters, gas leakage, monitoring fuel reactant conversion reactions, impurities present and adulteration of fuel, also automation process of a fuel injection system. This review gives an overview of the applications of image processing in fuel science.

Light-regulated expression of terpene synthase gene, AtTPS03, is controlled by the bZIP transcription factor, HY5, in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The terpenoid pathway serves as an essential source of all isoprenoid precursors and metabolites that are of great pharmacological importance. The major enzymes for the synthesis of these diverse molecules is the terpene synthases (TPSs), which catalyse the final step of the synthesis of the important secondary products, the terpenes. Previous studies have reported that the various environmental factors, including light govern the synthesis of terpenoids. However, the molecular components and steps involved in the regulation of synthesis of these molecules have not been studied in detail. In this study, we report that the light regulates the expression of the members of terpene synthase gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana. We demonstrate that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (HY5), a basic leucine zipper transcription factor, plays a crucial role in light-mediated transcriptional regulation of terpene synthase, AtTPS03. Expression analysis using hy5-215 mutant and HY5 over-expression lines revealed that HY5 acts as a positive regulator of AtTPS03. Additionally, studies including AtTPS03 Promoter::reporter transgenic lines in wild-type and hy5-215, as well as electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), suggest an interaction of HY5 with the AtTPS03 promoter. Together, our analysis indicate the requirement for HY5 for light-mediated regulation of AtTPS03 for the terpenoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Optimization of ultrasound assisted extraction of pectin from custard apple peel: Potential and new source.

Pectin was extracted from the waste custard apple peel using ultrasound technique and optimized the extraction process by RSM. The various significant process parameters such as liquid-solid ratio, ultra-sonication time, temperature and pH of solution were studied in the range of 10-25 mL g-1, 10-30 min, 50-80 °C, and 1-3, respectively. The maximum yield of pectin (8.93%) was attained at the optimum condition of 23.52 mL g-1 of liquid-solid ratio, 18.04  min of ultra-sonication time, 63.22 °C of temperature and 2.3 pH of solution. The extracted and commercially available fresh pectin (for comparison purposes) were characterized by various analytical techniques namely, FTIR, DSC, XRD, SEM, and NMR to evaluate their functional groups, thermal properties, crystallinities, morphological and structural characteristics, respectively. The extracted pectin was a toxic free compound as determined by its anti nutritional property study and about 20 mg/mL of antioxidant presented in it.

Virus-Induced Silencing of Key Genes Leads to Differential Impact on Withanolide Biosynthesis in the Medicinal Plant, Withania somnifera.

Withanolides are a collection of naturally occurring, pharmacologically active, secondary metabolites synthesized in the medicinally important plant, Withania somnifera. These bioactive molecules are C28-steroidal lactone triterpenoids and their synthesis is proposed to take place via the mevalonate (MVA) and 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathways through the sterol pathway using 24-methylene cholesterol as substrate flux. Although the phytochemical profiles as well as pharmaceutical activities of Withania extracts have been well studied, limited genomic information and difficult genetic transformation have been a major bottleneck towards understanding the participation of specific genes in withanolide biosynthesis. In this study, we used the Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) approach to study the participation of key genes from MVA, MEP and triterpenoid biosynthesis for their involvement in withanolide biosynthesis. TRV-infected W. somnifera plants displayed unique phenotypic characteristics and differential accumulation of total Chl as well as carotenoid content for each silenced gene suggesting a reduction in overall isoprenoid synthesis. Comprehensive expression analysis of putative genes of withanolide biosynthesis revealed transcriptional modulations conferring the presence of complex regulatory mechanisms leading to withanolide biosynthesis. In addition, silencing of genes exhibited modulated total and specific withanolide accumulation at different levels as compared with control plants. Comparative analysis also suggests a major role for the MVA pathway as compared with the MEP pathway in providing substrate flux for withanolide biosynthesis. These results demonstrate that transcriptional regulation of selected Withania genes of the triterpenoid biosynthetic pathway critically affects withanolide biosynthesis, providing new horizons to explore this process further, in planta.