Scope of Onsite, Portable Prevention Diagnostic Strategies for Alternaria Infections in Medicinal Plants.

Medicinal plants are constantly challenged by different biotic inconveniences, which not only cause yield and economic losses but also affect the quality of products derived from them. Among them, Alternaria pathogens are one of the harmful fungal pathogens in medicinal plants across the globe. Therefore, a fast and accurate detection method in the early stage is needed to avoid significant economic losses. Although traditional methods are available to detect Alternaria, they are more time-consuming and costly and need good expertise. Nevertheless, numerous biochemical- and molecular-based techniques are available for the detection of plant diseases, but their efficacy is constrained by differences in their accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, dependability, and speed in addition to being unsuitable for direct on-field studies. Considering the effect of Alternaria on medicinal plants, the development of novel and early detection measures is required to detect causal Alternaria species accurately, sensitively, and rapidly that can be further applied in fields to speed up the advancement process in detection strategies. In this regard, nanotechnology can be employed to develop portable biosensors suitable for early and correct pathogenic disease detection on the field. It also provides an efficient future scope to convert innovative nanoparticle-derived fabricated biomolecules and biosensor approaches in the diagnostics of disease-causing pathogens in important medicinal plants. In this review, we summarize the traditional methods, including immunological and molecular methods, utilized in plant-disease diagnostics. We also brief advanced automobile and efficient sensing technologies for diagnostics. Here we are proposing an idea with a focus on the development of electrochemical and/or colorimetric properties-based nano-biosensors that could be useful in the early detection of Alternaria and other plant pathogens in important medicinal plants. In addition, we discuss challenges faced during the fabrication of biosensors and new capabilities of the technology that provide information regarding disease management strategies.

Bioprospecting Indigenous Marine Microalgae for Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Under Different Media Conditions.

Marine microalgae produce a number of valuable compounds that have significant roles in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, nutraceutical, and food industries. Although there are numerous microalgal germplasms available in the marine ecosystem, only a small number of strains have been recognized for their commercial potential. In this study, several indigenous microalgal strains were isolated from the coast of the Arabian Sea for exploring the presence and production of high-value compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential fatty acids with multiple health benefits. Based on their high PUFA content, two isolated strains were identified by ITS sequencing and selected for further studies to enhance PUFAs. From molecular analysis, it was found both the strains were green microalgae: one of them was a Chlorella sp., while the other was a Planophila sp. The two isolated strains, together with a control strain known for yielding high levels of PUFAs, Nannochloropsis oculata, were grown in three different nutrient media for PUFA augmentation. The relative content of α-linolenic acid (ALA) as a percentage of total fatty acids reached a maximum of 50, 36, and 50%, respectively, in Chlorella sp., Planophila sp., and N. oculata. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in exploring fatty acids in Planophila sp. The obtained results showed a higher PUFA content, particularly α-linolenic acid at low nutrients in media.

Rhizophagus proliferus genome sequence reiterates conservation of genetic traits in AM fungi, but predicts higher saprotrophic activity.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous endosymbionts of terrestrial plants. It helps plants to extract more nutrients from the soil and enhances the plant tolerance to various ecological stress factors. The AM fungal genome sequence helps to identify the gene repertoires that are crucial for adaptation to different habitat and mechanisms for interaction with host plant. The present work comprises the first draft of the genome sequence of Rhizophagus proliferus, which is an important AM species present in biofertilizer consortia for agricultural purpose. The estimated genome size of R. proliferus is ~ 110 Mbps and its genomic assembly is 94.35% complete. Genome mining was carried out to identify putative gene families important for biological functions. A total of 22,526 protein-coding genes were estimated in the genome, with an abundance of kinases and reduced number of glycoside hydrolases as compared to other fungal classes. A striking finding in the R. proliferus genome was higher number of carbohydrate esterases (CE), which may suggest towards presence of higher saprotrophic activity in this species as compared to the previously reported AM fungi, which may indicate towards its role as a link between plants and soil mineral nutrients. The genome sequence and annotation of R. proliferus presented here would serve as an important reference for functional genomics studies required for developing biofertilizer formulations in future. In addition, the findings from this work may also prove important in deciphering molecular mechanisms in AM fungi that govern the host-specific interaction and associated agriculture benefits.