Impact of 24-epibrassinolide, spermine, and silicon on plant growth, antioxidant defense systems, and osmolyte accumulation of maize under water stress.

The effect of triad application of the phytohormone 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), the polyamine spermine (Spm), and the element silicon (Si) has not yet been considered on plant growth and behavior in water-stressed conditions. We aimed to evaluate the impact of single/dual/triad application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), spermine (Spm), and silicon (Si) on the growth, photosynthetic metabolites, and antioxidant enzymes in the maize plant exposed to water stress. This study was conducted as a potential drought resistance system and plants' maintenance against oxidative damage. In this regard, one maize hybrid (Paya) was grown under well-watered and water-deficit conditions (interrupted irrigation at the flowering and the filling seed stages) with and without foliar spraying of EBL, Spm, and/or Si. Drought conditions remarkably reduced growth, productivity, water-related content (RWC), and chlorophyll content. However, the dual and triad applications of EBL (0.1 mg L-1), Spm (25 mg L-1), and Si (7 mg L-1) significantly improved the above parameters. Water stress considerably augmented the levels of H2O2 and MDA. Their content in stress-subjected plants was significantly reduced by triad application. In water-stressed circumstances and after foliar treatments, the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase as well as the amounts of total soluble proteins, phenolic compounds, proline, and glycine betaine all improved. Overall, triad application increased the plant's drought resistance and diminished ROS accumulation by raising the scavenging via the enhanced activity of the antioxidant enzymes.

In vitro acaricidal activity of essential oil and alcoholic extract of Trachyspermum ammi against Dermanyssus gallinae.

This study aimed to assess in vitro acaricidal activity of essential oil (EO) and alcoholic extracts (AE) of Ajowan against D. gallinae. Using contact and spraying bioassays, different doses of EO and AE were tested. Cypermethrin and thymol (positive controls), and ethanol and distilled water (negative controls) were also tested. The results indicated that effects were method and dose dependent. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant difference for contact and spraying bioassays and various doses of EO and AE (p < 0.0001) as, the spraying method was more effective than the contact method for acaricidal activity at 24 h post treatment (PT). In this method, Cypermethrin, EO and thymol caused over 90 % mite mortality at 50 µgcm-2, while AE caused this rate at 150 µgcm-2. In the contact bioassay, all tests produced low mortality rates except for Cypermethrin. Thymol was the main constituent of EO (Area = 42.26 %) and AE (Area = 45.8 %). Results of the present study indicated that Ajowan had a satisfactory acaricidal effect against D. gallinae in vitro. It was also found that the spraying method could be used to control the D. gallinae as the most appropriate method.

Anthelmintic activity of crude powder and crude aqueous extract of Trachyspermum ammi on gastrointestinal nematodes in donkey (Equus asinus): An in vivo study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Trachyspermum ammi has been used traditionally as a popular ethnobotanical plant in human and animal parasitic infestations. Few scientific studies have been conducted on in vitro anthelmintic activity of T. ammi against various helminths and there is no study on its in vivo/in vitro anthelmintic properties against equine helminths. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to evaluate in vivo anthelmintic activity of crude powder (CP) and crude aqueous extract (CAE) of T. ammi seeds against gastrointestinal nematodes in the donkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty donkeys, naturally and severely infected with Strongyle-type nematodes, were randomly divided into six groups and administered orally with graded doses of CP and CAE at single dose as follow: Two groups were treated with 1 and 3 gkg-1 body weight of CP, two groups were treated with CAE at the equivalent dose rate 1 and 3 gkg-1 bw of CP and one group was treated with 200 µgkg-1 bw of Ivermectin 0.2% (Positive Control). One group received no medication (Negative Control). Efficacy was determined by faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test. The faecal samples were taken from the donkeys on days 7, 14 and 28 post-treatments (PT) and the egg per gram (EPG) of faeces was determined for each animal. FECR for donkeys treated with CP, CAE, and Ivermectin 0.2% was calculated on days 7, 14, and 28 PT. In the present study, CAE was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine CAE chemical components. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a marker (thymol) was applied to confirm the existence of thymol as an active principle. RESULTS: Based on the FECR findings, the maximum FECR (71.2%) was observed in the group treated with CAE3 on day 14 PT, while it was 66.2% for CP3 on the same day. The effects of different treatments (P < 0.001), time (P < 0.001) and their interactions (P < 0.05) on EPG showed a significant difference. A dose-dependent response in the anthelmintic activity of CP and CAE was observed. GC-MS analysis indicated that thymol was the major component of CAE (Area = 45.01%) with the respective peak at retention times (Rt) 10.41 min. On HPLC analysis of CAE, thymol was found to be the major constituent of CAE (Area = 58.76%) with the same Rt at 13.233 min. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that both CP and CAE of T. ammi had the dose-dependent anthelmintic effects. Due to the development of drug resistance against synthetic anti-helminthics, T. ammi seems to be a promising alternative for the treatment and prevention of helminths in livestock.