Heavy metals accumulation in soil and uptake by barley (Hordeum vulgare) irrigated with contaminated water.

Impacts of nine heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, K, Fe, Mn, and Zn) contamination in irrigation water on the soil, shoots, and roots of barely were investigated. Due to freshwater shortages, the use of available and inexpensive urban wastewater with input from local industrial factories containing heavy metals in irrigation is still practiced in the Middle East including Palestine. Barely was grown in plastic pots filled with sandy soil irrigated with simulated treated wastewater during two growing seasons. The metal treatments investigated include one, three, nine, and 15 multiples of the average metal content of treated effluent. Results showed that (i) Barley showed similar growth responses but different metal uptake patterns, (ii) Cd, Fe, Pb, and Zn in roots and shoots of barley were higher than WHO permissible levels, (iii) all metals accumulated in the soil had lower content than WHO permissible levels, (iv) The average value of enrichment factor (EF) for most heavy metals used was around unity indicating poor enrichment to soil and translocation to roots and shoots, (v) The highest Translocation factor (TF = 57.8) and Bioconcentration Factor (BCF = 126.8) was observed for K indicating its role in enhancing barley's tolerance to drought and its effectiveness in using barley in phytoremediation, and (vi) Barley growth and development and soil quality parameters were significantly affected by repetitive and increased irrigation with wastewater containing heavy metals.

Application of the Hurdle Technology Concept to the Fresh Za'atar (Origanum syriacum) Preservation.

Oregano (Origanum syriacum) is popularly called za'atar in the Middle East region. It is widely used in the Mediterranean diet as an aromatic herb. This study aimed to evaluate the preservation effect of natural additives, vacuum packaging, and refrigeration on the quality traits of fresh oregano. In total, 132 fresh oregano samples were formulated and split into 4 groups (n = 33) labeled group A (100% fresh oregano leaves, Control), group B (fresh oregano 63.2%, 15% fresh onion, 20% oil, 1.8% salt), group C (fresh oregano 61.91%, 15% fresh Allium cepa, 20% oil, 1.8% salt, 1.29% sumac), and group D (fresh oregano 59.2%, 15% fresh Allium cepa, 20% corn oil, 1.8% salt, 4% lactic acid, ultimate pH 4.4). Different quality traits such as color index (L*a*b*), microbiological analysis (total aerobic, anaerobic, and psychrotrophic bacteria and yeasts and molds), and sensory features (taste, flavor, appearance, saltiness, and overall acceptance) were assessed during the storage period (42 days) for all groups. Our study showed that the addition of lactic acid (group D) exhibited a strong preservation effect against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. In this context, group D had significantly lower aerobic and anaerobic bacterial counts (5.12 vs. 6.7, 6, and 6.7 log (cfu/g); p < 0.05) and (4.75 vs. 6.6, 6.1, 6.77 (cfu/g); p < 0.05) than group A, B, and C; respectively. Group D exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) lower psychrotrophic bacterial count (3.6 log (cfu/g)) during the whole period of storage compared with control. Group B had a lower redness index (a*) (−3.3 vs. −1.8, −1.65, −1.23; p < 0.05) than groups A, C, and D; respectively. In conclusion, our study showed that there is a possibility of improving the preservation of oregano (Origanum syriacum) by using lactic acid and sumac combined with vacuum packaging under refrigeration conditions.

Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Viruses Linked with Fig Mosaic Disease in Seventeen Fig Cultivars in Palestine.

Fig mosaic is a viral disease (FMD) that spreads in Palestinian common fig ( Ficus carica L.) orchards. Recognizing the economic value of fig plants and the harmful nature of FMD, the disease poses a significant threat to the economy of the fig production in Palestine. We applied the reverse transcription and amplification (RT-PCR) and PCR technique to leaf samples of 77 trees and 14 seedlings of 17 fig cultivars. The samples were collected from orchards in the main fig-growing provinces of the Palestinian West Bank, to assess the prevalence of viruses associated with FMD, and confirm a possible link of symptoms with viruses detected. Four viruses were detected: Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig badnavirus-1 (FBV-1), Fig leaf mottle-associated virus 2 (FLMaV-2), and Fig fleck-associated virus (FFkaV). FMV and FBV-1 were found in all tested fig plants (100%), while FLMaV-2 and FFkaV were detected in 61.5% and 33% of the fig samples, respectively. The high incidence of FBV-1 in the newly propagated symptomatic and symptomless seedlings from different cultivars may be an indication that FBV-1 is integrated into the genome of the fig in a cultivar nondiscriminatory manner. Very weak or no association was detected between FMD symptoms severity in the 17 Palestinian fig cultivars with the various viruses' combinations observed (i.e., number of the viruses infecting the plant). These results support the notion that FMD symptom severity expression is likely to be controlled by a combination of FMV infection, cultivars, and environmental factors, rather than the number of viruses infecting the plant.

Characterizing Palestinian snake melon (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) germplasm diversity and structure using SNP and DArTseq markers.

BACKGROUND: Crop landraces embody a source of beneficial genes potentially providing endurance to environmental stress and other agronomic qualities including yield. Our study included 88 snake melon accessions (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) collected from 9 districts in the Palestinian West-Bank. These accessions represent four landraces of Palestinian snake melon: Green, and White Baladi, and Green, and White Sahouri. RESULTS: This is the first report on successful application of genotyping by sequencing in snake melon. Nine thousand seven hundred fifty single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and 7400 DArTseq genetic markers were employed to evaluate genetic biodiversity and population structure of Palestinian snake melon germplasm collection. Clustering based on neighbor-joining-analysis, principle coordinate and Bayesian model implemented in Structure showed that patterns of genetic diversity of snake melon landraces depends on their geographical source and unraveled the presence of two major local landraces (Sahouri, and Baladi) with accessions from each group clustering together. A significant correlation was observed between both types of markers in Mantel correlation test. A significant association between genetic and geographic matrices (P < 0.0001) was also detected. AMOVA indicated that majority of variation (90%) was due to the difference within accessions. CONCLUSION: The Palestinian landraces seem to have unique genes that may allow the enhancement of the global snake melon gene pool and developments of the plant production worldwide. Our subsequent objective is to detect genotypes with promising qualities and to conduct association mapping studies concentrating on Fusarium-wilt resistance, yield, and environmental stresses.

Report: Comparison of qualitative, quantitative analysis and antioxidant potential between wild and cultivated Borago officinalis leaves from palestine.

Borago officinalis plant is an important plant of high medicinal and nutritional values. This study designed to evaluate antioxidant activity, screen the existence of phytogenic chemical compounds and to determine the total flavonoid and phenol contents of wild and cultivated Borago officinalis. Total flavonoid contents of the wild and cultivated Borago officinalis were determined by using rutin reference standard method and total phenols determined by using Folin Ciocalteu's method while antioxidant activity evaluated by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate assay. Phytochemical analyses indicated the presence of carbohydrate, phenols, flavonoids, phytosteroids tannins and volatile oil. The total flavonoid content of the methanolic extract from the wild borage plant was 22.4mg RU/g this value was reduced to 13.1mg RU/g for the cultivated methanolic extract as well as the total phenols contents was dropped from 5.21mg GA/g to 2.37mg GA/g methanolic extracts. Total tannins content of the wild growing borage plant was 13.7mg GA/g methanolic extract. This value was higher in the cultivated borage with 21.33mg GA/g methanolic extract. The wild leaves extract had IC50 =6.3µg/mL for wild leaves extract was closer to IC50 value of Trolox (standard reference with high antioxidant activity), while the cultivated leaves extract had higher IC50= 8.7µg/mL which mean lower antioxidant activity than the wild growing one. The data of this study showed that the extracts of Borago officinalis possess antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. Variation was clear between wild and cultivated species, these findings propose that such plant extract could have a wide range of applications in both food and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, more research is necessary to investigate different cultural practices on the efficiency of borage plant.

Variability of Chemical Compositions and Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Ruta chalepensis Leaf Essential Oils from Three Palestinian Regions.

INTRODUCTION: Interest in essential oils was recently revived with their popularity increasing in medicine, pharmacy, and aromatherapy. This study was performed to identify the chemical compositions of the essential oil of Ruta chalepensis growing wildly in three regions in Palestine and to assess and compare their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. METHODS: Identification of the essential oil was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antimicrobial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans by using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay, while antioxidant activity was analyzed by using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. RESULTS: The essential oils of R. chalepensis from Jerusalem and Hebron regions have almost identical components; the major compounds identified were linalyl acetate and ß-linalool; these essential oils exerted potential antioxidant and antibacterial activities. On the other hand, the major components of the plant essential oil from Jenin region were 2-undecanone and 2-nonanone, which exhibited potential antifungal activity. CONCLUSIONS: The phytoconstituents and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil of R. chalepensis from different regions in Palestine were established in this study. The obtained results indicate possible applications for R. chalepensis in the treatment of various infectious and noninfectious diseases.

Osmotic stress at the barley root affects expression of circadian clock genes in the shoot.

The circadian clock is an important timing system that controls physiological responses to abiotic stresses in plants. However, there is little information on the effects of the clock on stress adaptation in important crops, like barley. In addition, we do not know how osmotic stress perceived at the roots affect the shoot circadian clock. Barley genotypes, carrying natural variation at the photoperiod response and clock genes Ppd-H1 and HvELF3, were grown under control and osmotic stress conditions to record changes in the diurnal expression of clock and stress-response genes and in physiological traits. Variation at HvELF3 affected the expression phase and shape of clock and stress-response genes, while variation at Ppd-H1 only affected the expression levels of stress genes. Osmotic stress up-regulated expression of clock and stress-response genes and advanced their expression peaks. Clock genes controlled the expression of stress-response genes, but had minor effects on gas exchange and leaf transpiration. This study demonstrated that osmotic stress at the barley root altered clock gene expression in the shoot and acted as a spatial input signal into the clock. Unlike in Arabidopsis, barley primary assimilation was less controlled by the clock and more responsive to environmental perturbations, such as osmotic stress.

Expression conservation within the circadian clock of a monocot: natural variation at barley Ppd-H1 affects circadian expression of flowering time genes, but not clock orthologs.

BACKGROUND: The circadian clock is an endogenous mechanism that coordinates biological processes with daily changes in the environment. In plants, circadian rhythms contribute to both agricultural productivity and evolutionary fitness. In barley, the photoperiod response regulator and flowering-time gene Ppd-H1 is orthologous to the Arabidopsis core-clock gene PRR7. However, relatively little is known about the role of Ppd-H1 and other components of the circadian clock in temperate crop species. In this study, we identified barley clock orthologs and tested the effects of natural genetic variation at Ppd-H1 on diurnal and circadian expression of clock and output genes from the photoperiod-response pathway. RESULTS: Barley clock orthologs HvCCA1, HvGI, HvPRR1, HvPRR37 (Ppd-H1), HvPRR73, HvPRR59 and HvPRR95 showed a high level of sequence similarity and conservation of diurnal and circadian expression patterns, when compared to Arabidopsis. The natural mutation at Ppd-H1 did not affect diurnal or circadian cycling of barley clock genes. However, the Ppd-H1 mutant was found to be arrhythmic under free-running conditions for the photoperiod-response genes HvCO1, HvCO2, and the MADS-box transcription factor and vernalization responsive gene Vrn-H1. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the described eudicot clock is largely conserved in the monocot barley. However, genetic differentiation within gene families and differences in the function of Ppd-H1 suggest evolutionary modification in the angiosperm clock. Our data indicates that natural variation at Ppd-H1 does not affect the expression level of clock genes, but controls photoperiodic output genes. Circadian control of Vrn-H1 in barley suggests that this vernalization responsive gene is also controlled by the photoperiod-response pathway. Structural and functional characterization of the barley circadian clock will set the basis for future studies of the adaptive significance of the circadian clock in Triticeae species.