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Chitin (Ct) is a crucial biopolymer present in fungi, algae, arthropods, and is usually obtained from crustacean shells. Chitosan (Cs) is a derivative from Ct deacetylation, and possesses numerous uses in various agro-industrial fields. Research on fungal-derived Ct and Cs is mostly focused on pharmaceutical uses, however their uses for plant disease control remain less explored. The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the possibility of using chitosan obtained from mushroom Pleurotus eryngii (Cs-Pe) for controlling some phytopathogens compared to commercial chitosan (C.Cs). This study is focused on the following key areas: (i) extracting Ct from P. eryngii mycelium and converting it to Cs through deacetylation, using both bleaching and non-bleaching methods; (ii) conducting a physico-chemical characterization and in vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the obtained Cs; (iii) performing an in vivo assessment of the phytotoxic and cytotoxic effects of Cs; and (iv) investigating in vivo the impact of the studied chitosan on fruit quality and its biocontrol efficacy against Monilinia laxa infections in plum fruits. Results showed that Cs-Pe, especially the unbleached one, displayed promising in vitro antimicrobial activity against the majority of tested pathogens. Regarding the cytotoxicity, the highest significant increase in cell abnormality percentage was observed in the case of C.Cs compared to Cs-Pe. In the in vivo study, Cs-Pe acted as a protective barrier, lowering and/or preventing moisture loss and firmness of treated plums. The studied Cs-Pe demonstrated notable efficacy against M. laxa which decreased the fruits' percentage decline. These results strongly suggest that Cs derived from P. eryngii is a potential candidate for increasing plums' shelf-life. This research shed light on the promising applications of P. eryngii-derived Cs in the agri-food field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) are concentrated hydrophobic liquids that originate from plants and contain different bioactive chemicals and volatile substances. Several plant essential oils (PEOs) are obtained from a variety of medicinal plants and have been utilized in folk medicine and traditional pharmacopoeia. They have a long history of usage as antibacterial medicines to treat various human, animal, and plant diseases. The extraction of essential oils frequently involves fractional distillation with a variety of organic solvents. EOs can be used successfully in the food and cosmetics industries in addition to their traditional use as antimicrobial agents. This Special Issue covers various significant PEOs and their individual chemical constituents and biological-pharmaceutical functions. Further information focused on the chemical characterizations, modes of action, and biopharmaceutical properties of PEOs. This Special Issue includes seventeen research papers from different geographical zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Beauveria includes important entomopathogenic and endophytic fungi; among them, Beauveria bassiana is the most studied species. However, there is little knowledge regarding their antimicrobial activity. The current research has been conducted to evaluate the in vitro antagonistic activity of B. bassiana and the antimicrobial efficacy of its Exo and Endo metabolites against Bacillus cereus, B. megaterium, Clavibacter michiganensis (Gram positive bacteria, G+ve), Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. fluorescence (Gram negative bacteria, G−ve). In addition, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to qualitatively measure the volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) metabolic profile of the most efficient studied isolate of B. bassiana. The obtained results showed that the isolate UniB2439-3 has a promising antibacterial effect against most of the studied target bacteria. An SPME-GC/MS analysis of VOCs revealed the presence of ethanol, butanal,2-methyl, 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene, octane, 4-methyl and β-elemene as the dominant bioactive compounds. The results demonstrated that the efficient isolate of B. bassiana can be potentially used as a biocontrol agent against several bacteria, especially G+ve ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhizosphere is a rich source of actinomycetes which can produce several potential biologically active secondary metabolites. The principal goal for this research is to extract, purify, and characterize the bioactive secondary metabolites produced by three different strains of actinomycetes isolated from the rhizosphere of rosemary, black locust, and olive. The plant growth-promoting effect (PGPE) of the studied strains of actinomycetes on Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) and the disease-control effect on necrotic stem lesions of "black leg" caused by Fusarium tabacinum on basil were evaluated in silico. The cell-free culture filtrates from the studied actinomycetes isolates were evaluated in vitro for their antimicrobial activity against some common phytopathogens. The secondary metabolites obtained from the cell-free culture filtrates have been chemically characterized using high-resolution electrospray ionization of liquid-chromatography/mass-spectrometric detection (ESI-(HR)Orbitrap-MS). Results of the in silico trial showed that all studied isolates demonstrated PGPE on basil seedlings, improved some eco-physiological characteristics, and reduced the disease incidence of F. tabacinum. The extracted metabolites from the studied actinomycetes demonstrated antimicrobial activity in a Petri-plates assay. The chemical analysis revealed the presence of 20 different components. This research emphasizes how valuable the examined isolates are for producing bioactive compounds, indicating their putative antimicrobial activity and their potential employment as fungal biocontrol agents. In particular, the obtained results revealed the possibility of green synthesis of some important secondary metabolites, such as N-Acetyl-l-histidinol, Rhizocticin A, and Eponemycin, from actinomycetes. The bioactive metabolites may be successively used to develop novel bio-formulations for both crop protection and/or PGPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural products are compounds produced by living organisms and can be divided into two main categories: primary (PMs) and secondary metabolites (SMs). Plant PMs are crucial for plant growth and reproduction since they are directly involved in living cell processes, whereas plant SMs are organic substances directly involved in plant defense and resistance. SMs are divided into three main groups: terpenoids, phenolics and nitrogen-containing compounds. The SMs contain a variety of biological capabilities that can be used as flavoring agents, food additives, plant-disease control, strengthen plant defenses against herbivores and, additionally, it can help plant cells to be better adapted to the physiological stress response. The current review is mainly focusing on certain key elements related to the significance, biosynthesis, classification, biochemical characterization and medical/pharmaceutical uses of the major categories of plant SMs. In addition, the usefulness of SMs in controlling plant diseases, boosting plant resistance and as potential natural, safe, eco-friendly substitutes for chemosynthetic pesticides were also reported in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity in crop plants is the conditio sine qua non for sustainable agriculture and long-term food security. Our research carried out the morphological, agronomic, and physico-chemical characterization and resistance to late blight of 35 tomato landraces from seven countries. These landraces have been approved and appear in the Official Catalog of Varieties. The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) descriptors have been used to describe the tomato's morphological and agronomic characteristics. For the physico-chemical characteristics, the dry matter, the pH, and the carotenoid content (lycopene, lutein, and β-carotene)) were analyzed. Carotenoids were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the morphological diversity of landraces was very high. Three landraces of remarkable commercial value have shown increased resistance to late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans, one of the most damaging diseases of tomato. Also, six landraces had a lycopene content exceeding 100 µg/g sample. The carotenoid content ranged between 0.769 (Marmande-FR 166) and 140.328 mg kg−1 FW (Răscruci). The landrace with the highest β carotene content was PT 308 with 65.499 mg kg−1 FW, while the lowest values were registered for Marmande-FR 166 with 0.105 mg kg−1 FW. The present study provides essential information on the morphological and agronomic qualities of these tomato landraces and their lycopene and other carotenoid content. The results are discussed in light of the importance of tomato landraces in meeting the preferences of different producers and consumers, the choice of the most suitable landraces for specific pedoclimatic conditions, and the supply of carotenoid pigment sources for the pharmaceutical industry. Our research responds to humanity's great global challenges: preserving agricultural biodiversity, protecting the environment by identifying pest-resistant varieties, and also protecting consumer health by finding important sources of antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation focused on the deterioration of the walls in the hypogeum of "San Pietro Barisano" rupestrian church, located in the Matera-Sassi (Southern Italy), one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The study evaluated the biocide activity of a mixture of natural glycoalkaloids (GAs) extracted from the unripe fruit of Solanum nigrum and applied to clean a hypogeum wall surface in the church affected by bio-patinas. The analyzed bio-patina, collected before treatment and, at pre-established times, after treatment, showed changes in chemical composition detected by XPS, accompanied by visible discoloration and biological activity variation. The biocidal action of the glycoalkaloids mixture, directly employed on the wall surface, was effective after about four weeks for most bio-patina colonizers but not for the fungal species that can migrate and survive in the porosities of the calcarenite. Consequently, the cleaning procedure requires the integration of fungicidal actions, combined with the consolidation of the surfaces, to obtain complete bioremediation and avoid subsequent biological recolonization. SEM images and associated microanalysis of pretreated bio-patina have revealed the biocalcogenity of some autochthonous microorganisms, thus preluding to their eventual isolation and reintroduction on the wall surface to act as consolidants once the bio-cleaning phase has been completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrochemicals are generally used in agriculture to maximize yields and product quality, but their overuse can cause environmental pollution and human health problems. To reduce the off-farm input of chemicals, numerous biostimulant products based on beneficial symbiont plant fungi are receiving a great deal of attention. The evolution of plant diseases and the performance of insects are influenced by plant chemical defences, both of which are, in turn, influenced by below-ground symbionts. Direct and indirect plant defences mediated by belowground symbionts against plant diseases and insect herbivores were demonstrated in greenhouses experiments. However, little attention has been paid to the use of Trichoderma under open field conditions, and no data are available for zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) plants in the field. To determine the effects of a commercial Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 on plant viruses, powdery mildew, the arthropod community, and on the agronomic performance associated with zucchini plants, an experiment was conducted in 2022 under open field conditions in South Italy. Our results indicate that T. harzianum T22 makes zucchini plants more attractive to aphids and to Hymenoptera parasitoid but failed to control zucchini pathogens. The complex plant–disease–arthropod–microorganism interactions that occurred in the field during the entire plant cycle are discussed to enrich our current information on the possibilities of using these microorganisms as a green alternative in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinomycetes has large habitats and can be isolated from terrestrial soil, rhizospheres of plant roots, and marine sediments. Actinomycetes produce several bioactive secondary metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. In this study, some Actinomycetes strains were isolated from the rhizosphere zone of four different plant species: rosemary, acacia, strawberry, and olive. The antagonistic activity of all isolates was screened in vitro against Escherichia coli and Bacillus megaterium. Isolates with the strongest bioactivity potential were selected and molecularly identified as Streptomyces sp., Streptomyces atratus, and Arthrobacter humicola. The growth-promoting activity of the selected Actinomycetes isolates was in vivo evaluated on tomato plants and for disease control against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The results demonstrated that all bacterized plants with the studied Actinomycetes isolates were able to promote the tomato seedlings' growth, showing high values of ecophysiological parameters. In particular, the bacterized seedlings with Streptomyces sp. and A. humicola showed low disease incidence of S. sclerotiorum infection (0.3% and 0.2%, respectively), whereas those bacterized with S. atratus showed a moderate disease incidence (7.6%) compared with the positive control (36.8%). In addition, the ability of the studied Actinomycetes to produce extracellular hydrolytic enzymes was verified. The results showed that A. humicola was able to produce chitinase, glucanase, and protease, whereas Streptomyces sp. and S. atratus produced amylase and pectinase at high and moderate levels, respectively. This study highlights the value of the studied isolates in providing bioactive metabolites and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, indicating their potential application as fungal-biocontrol agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Val d'Agri is an important orchard area located in the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy). A phenomenon affecting cv. "Golden Delicious" apples which lead to tree death has been observed in the past several years in this area. This phenomenon has already been detected in about 20 hectares and is rapidly expanding. The symptoms observed were "scaly bark" and extensive cankers, mainly located in the lower part of the trunk, associated with wood decay. Dead plants ranged from 20% to 80% and, in many cases, trees were removed by farmers. In order to identify the causes of this phenomenon, investigations were started in autumn/winter 2019. In order to determine the possible causal agents, fungal and bacterial isolations, from symptomatic tissues, were performed in laboratory. Bacterial isolations gave negative results, whereas pure fungal cultures (PFCs) were obtained after 3–4 passages on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Genetic material was extracted from each PFC and amplified by PCR using three pairs of primers: ITS5/4, Bt2a/Bt2b and ACT-512F/ACT-783R. The amplicons were directly sequenced, and nucleotide sequences were compared with those already present in the NCBI GenBank nucleotide database. All isolated fungi were identified based on morphological features and multilocus molecular analyses. Neofusicoccum parvum, Diaporthe eres and Trametes versicolor were most frequently isolated, while Pestalotiopsis funerea, Phomopsis spp. and Diaporthe foeniculina were less frequently isolated. All nucleotide sequences obtained in this study have been deposited into the EMBL database. Pathogenicity tests showed that N. parvum was the most pathogenic and aggressive fungus, while Phomopsis sp. was demonstrated to be the less virulent one. All the investigated fungi were repeatedly reisolated from artificially inoculated twigs of 2-year-old apple trees, cv. "Golden Delicious", and subsequently morphologically and molecularly identified. The role played by the above-mentioned fungi in the alterations observed in field is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic preservatives are widely utilized by the food industry to inhibit the microbial contamination and increase food safety and shelf life. The excessive utilization of synthetic preservatives can have a negative impact on human health and the environment. There is a great interest to find out natural substances as possible food-preservatives. The consumers' preference for food products with natural ingredients prompted food manufacturers to utilize natural-based preservatives in their production. It is worth noting that plant essential oils (EOs) among the natural-based substances have been efficiently used as antimicrobial agents against phyto- and food pathogens. The current study was conducted to evaluate the microbial contamination of three industrial meat products from five governorates in Egypt, identify the predominant bacterial and fungal isolates and determine the antimicrobial efficacy of some EOs (thyme, fennel, anise and marjoram) against the most predominant microbial isolates. A sensory test was also performed to estimate the customer preferences for specific organoleptic aspects of meat products after EOs treatment. Results showed that there is a promising antimicrobial activity of all studied EOs against some microbial isolates in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, thyme EO showed the highest significant antibacterial activity against P.fluorescence and E. coli. Whereas the marjoram EO showed the highest activity against P. aeruginosa. In addition, the sensory test revealed that the treatment with anise and marjoram EOs showed the highest acceptability by the testers and did not show significant differences on the organoleptic properties with respect to control. As overall, the obtained results of the current research are promising and proved feasibility of employing plant EOs as possible preservatives for processed meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of plant essential oils (EOs) in anticancer treatment has recently received many research efforts to overcome the development of multidrug resistance and their negative side effects. The aims of the current research are to study (i) the cytotoxic effect of the crude EO extracted from Origanum vulgare subsp hirtum and its main constituents (carvacrol, thymol, citral and limonene) on hepatocarcinoma HepG2 and healthy human renal cells HEK293; (ii) the antibacterial and phytotoxic activities of the above EO and its main constituents. Results showed that cell viability percentage of treated HepG2 by EO and its main constituents was significantly decreased when compared to untreated cells. The calculated inhibition concentration (IC50) values for HepG2 were lower than healthy renal cells, indicating the sort of selectivity of the studied substances. Citral is not potentially recommended as an anticancer therapeutic agent, since there are no significant differences between IC50 values against both tested cell lines. Results showed also that oregano EO and its main constituents have a significant antibacterial activity and a moderate phytotoxic effect. The current research verified that oregano EO and its main constituents could be potentially utilized as anticancer therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a great interest in discovering new microbial natural biocides such as microbial secondary metabolites to reduce the environmental pollution due to the excessive use of synthetic pesticides. Verticillium wilt, caused by the soil-borne Verticillium dahliae, is a widespread disease in tomato growing in many parts of the world. Burkholderia gladioli pv. agaricicola produces some antimicrobial substances and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes which exhibited promising antimicrobial activity towards several phytopathogens. The aims of the current research are to assess in vitro fungicidal effect of 4 strains of B. gladioli pv. agaricicola (ICMP11096, 11097, 12220 and 12322) against V. dahliae using culture or cell-free culture filtrate. In situ assay was performed to evaluate the biocontrol effect of the most efficient bacterial strain on wilt disease caused by V. dahliae in tomato plants. Results demonstrated that the studied bacterial strain ICMP12322 exerted the highest in vitro antifungal activity against V. dahliae which correlated with its ability to produce extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. Furthermore, in situ results showed that the selected bacterial strain significantly minimized the disease incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend to search novel microbial natural biocides has recently been increasing in order to avoid the environmental pollution from use of synthetic pesticides. Among these novel natural biocides are the bioactive secondary metabolites of Burkholderia gladioli pv. agaricicola (Bga). The aim of this study is to determine antifungal activity of Bga strains against some phytopathogenic fungi. The fungicidal tests were carried out using cultures and cell-free culture filtrates against Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium expansum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Phytophthora cactorum. Results demonstrated that all tested strains exert antifungal activity against all studied fungi by producing diffusible metabolites which are correlated with their ability to produce extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. All strains significantly reduced the growth of studied fungi and the bacterial cells were more bioactive than bacterial filtrates. All tested Bulkholderia strains produced volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which inhibited the fungal growth and reduced the growth rate of Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani. GC/MS analysis of VOCs emitted by strain Bga 11096 indicated the presence of a compound that was identified as 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-cyclohexene, a liquid hydrocarbon classified as cyclic terpene. This compound could be responsible for the antifungal activity, which is also in agreement with the work of other authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight substances that are main components of the essential oils from three Mediterranean aromatic plants (Verbena officinalis, Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare), previously found active against some phytopathogenic Fungi and Stramenopila, have been tested in vitro against five etiological agents of post-harvest fruit decay, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium italicum, P. expansum, Phytophthora citrophthora and Rhizopus stolonifer. The tested compounds were β-fellandrene, β-pinene, camphene, carvacrol, citral, o-cymene, γ-terpinene and thymol. Citral exhibited a fungicidal action against P. citrophthora; carvacrol and thymol showed a fungistatic activity against P. citrophthora and R. stolonifer. Citral and carvacrol at 250 ppm, and thymol at 150 and 250 ppm stopped the growth of B. cinerea. Moreover, thymol showed fungistatic and fungicidal action against P. italicum. Finally, the mycelium growth of P. expansum was inhibited in the presence of 250 ppm of thymol and carvacrol. These results represent an important step toward the goal to use some essential oils or their components as natural preservatives for fruits and foodstuffs, due to their safety for consumer healthy and positive effect on shelf life extension of agricultural fresh products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel ligand-metal complexes were synthesized through the reaction of Fe(III), pleaseCo(II), Zn(II), and Zr(IV) with Schiff base gemifloxacin reacted with ortho-phenylenediamine (GMFX-o-phdn) to investigate their biological activities. Elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, UV-visible, molar conductance, melting points, magnetic susceptibility, and thermal analyses have been carried out for insuring the chelation process. The antimicrobial activity was carried out against Monilinia fructicola, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium italicum, Botrytis cinerea, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and P. aeruginosa. The radical scavenging activity (RSA%) was in vitro evaluated using ABTS method. FT-IR spectra indicated that GMFX-o-phdn chelated with metal ions as a tetradentate through oxygen of carboxylate group and nitrogen of azomethine group. The data of infrared, 1H NMR, and molar conductivity indicate that GMFX–o-phdn reacted as neutral tetra dentate ligand (N2O2) with metal ions through the two oxygen atoms of the carboxylic group (oxygen containing negative charge) and two nitrogen atoms of azomethine group (each nitrogen containing a lone pair of electrons) (the absent of peak corresponding to ν(COOH) at 1715 cm−1, the shift of azomethine group peak from 1633 cm−1 to around 1570 cm−1, the signal at 11 ppm of COOH and the presence of the chloride ions outside the complex sphere). Thermal analyses (TG-DTG/DTA) exhibited that the decaying of the metal complexes exists in three steps with the final residue metal oxide. The obtained data from DTA curves reflect that the degradation processes were exothermic or endothermic. Results showed that some of the studied complexes exhibited promising antifungal activity against most of the tested fungal pathogens, whereas they showed higher antibacterial activity against E. coli and B. cereus and low activity against P. fluorescens and P. aeruginosa. In addition, GMFX-o-phdn and its metal complexes showed strong antioxidant effect. In particular, the parent ligand and Fe(III) complex showed greater antioxidant capacity at low tested concentrations than that of other metal complexes where their IC50 were 169.7 and 164.6 µg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling of different products and waste materials plays a crucial role in circular economy, where the anaerobic digestion (AD) constitutes an important pillar since it reuses nutrients in the form of organic fertilizers. Knowledge about the digestate and compost microbial community structure and its variations over time is important. The aim of the current study was to investigate the microbiome of a slurry cow digestate produced on a farm (ADG) and of a more stabilized digestate-derived compost (DdC) in order to ascertain their potential uses as organic amendments in agriculture. The results from this study, based on a partial fragment of 16S bacterial rRNA NGS sequencing, showed that there is a greater microbial diversity in the DdC originated from agricultural waste compared to the ADG. Overall, the existence of a higher microbial diversity in the DdC was confirmed by an elevated number (1115) of OTUs identified, compared with the ADG (494 OTUs identified). In the DdC, 74 bacterial orders and 125 families were identified, whereas 27 bacterial orders and 54 families were identified in the ADG. Shannon diversity and Chao1 richness indexes were higher in DdC samples compared to ADG ones (Shannon: 3.014 and 1.573, Chao1: 68 and 24.75; p < 0.001 in both cases). A possible association between the microbiome composition at different stages of composting process and the role that these microorganisms may have on the quality of the compost-like substrate and its future uses is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several economically important crops, fruits and vegetables are susceptible to infection by pathogenic fungi and/or bacteria postharvest or in field. Recently, plant essential oils (EOs) extracted from different medicinal and officinal plants have had promising antimicrobial effects against phytopathogens. In the present study, the potential microbicide activity of Mentha × piperita cv. 'Kristinka' (peppermint) EO and its main constituents have been evaluated against some common phytopathogens. In addition, the cell membrane permeability of the tested fungi and the minimum fungicidal concentrations were measured. The antifungal activity was tested against the following postharvest fungi: Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia fructicola, Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus niger, whereas antibacterial activity was evaluated against Clavibacter michiganensis, Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas savastanoi and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola. The chemical analysis has been carried out using GC-MS and the main components were identified as menthol (70.08%) and menthone (14.49%) followed by limonene (4.32%), menthyl acetate (3.76%) and β-caryophyllene (2.96%). The results show that the tested EO has promising antifungal activity against all tested fungi, whereas they demonstrated only a moderate antibacterial effect against some of the tested bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic berry plantations have been gaining popularity among farmers during recent years. Even so, farmers experience serious challenges in disease control management, which is a concern in organic farming. Phragmidium rubi-idaei (DC) P. Karst is the pathogen responsible for blackberry and raspberry rust disease, one of the most present and active diseases in plantations. The antifungal certified products found on the organic farming market offer the opportunity for an efficient control strategy over plant pathogens in fruit shrub plantations. In this study, 5 natural based products—namely Altosan, Mimox, Canelys, Zitron, and Zeolite—were tested for their fungistatic effect over P. rubi-idaei. The experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions, performing observations over the impact of organic products, used at different concentration levels, on rust conidia germination. Moreover, field experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the efficiency of different treatments for rust control on raspberry ('Polka', 'Veten' and 'Heritage') and blackberry ('Thorn Free', 'Chester' and 'Loch Ness') varieties. Data analysis based on ANOVA tests showed significant differences between the tested variants and the control sample at p < 0.001. Furthermore, LSD test confirmed differences between all substances tested (p < 0.005). The natural products Canelys (formulated with cinnamon) and Zytron (based on citrus extract) have proven the highest inhibitory capacity for conidia germination during in vitro tests registering values of 80.42% and 78.34%, respectively. The same high inhibitory rates against rust pathogen were kept also in the field tests using the same two natural-based products mentioned earlier. In addition, outcomes from this study demonstrated that Zeolite is not recommended for raspberry or blackberry rust control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological and Spectroscopic Investigations of New Tenoxicam and 1.10-Phenthroline Metal Complexes. The authors of this paper [[1]] have agreed they would like to add Hanem M. Awad as the fourth co-author, as she made a significant contribution to the cytotoxicity tests. Reference 1 Elshafie H.S., Sadeek S.A., Camele I., Awad H.M., Mohamed A.A. Biological and Spectroscopic Investigations of New Tenoxicam and 1.10-Phenthroline Metal Complexes. [Extracted from the article]

Burkholderia is an important bacterial species which has different beneficial effects, such as promoting the plant growth, including rhizosphere competence for the secretion of allelochemicals, production of antibiotics, and siderophores. In addition, most of Burkholderia species have demonstrated promising biocontrol action against different phytopathogens for diverse crops. In particular, Burkholderia demonstrates significant biotechnological potential as a source of novel antibiotics and bioactive secondary metabolites. The current review is concerned with Burkholderia spp. covering the following aspects: discovering, classification, distribution, plant growth promoting effect, and antimicrobial activity of different species of Burkholderia, shedding light on the most important secondary metabolites, their pathogenic effects, and biochemical characterization of some important species of Burkholderia, such as B. cepacia, B. andropogonis, B. plantarii, B. rhizoxinica, B. glumae, B. caryophylli and B. gladioli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mushrooms belonging to Pleurotus genus have been demonstrated to have important nutritional and medicinal value and their regular intake prevent many diseases, reduce the infection probability and increase immunity. In order to investigate the bioactive compounds produced by seven commercial ('142 F', '142 E', 'D+', 'V turbo', 'V 142', 'A 12', 'V 160') and five wild-type ('Albino 1107', 'Altamura 1603', 'Muro Lucano 139', 'Conversano 1250', 'Albino beige chiaro 1094') P. eryngii isolates, the following qualitative analyses were performed: Total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity (EC50 of ABTS) and antiradical power (ARP) in fresh lyophilized and dry basidioma, and water content, β-glucans and phenolic compounds in fresh samples. Standard methods were employed for each of the above mentioned aims. Total polyphenol content was diverse among the P. eryngii isolates. In particular, an elevated polyphenolic content was found in fresh lyophilized P. eryngii samples of the commercial isolates 'V 142' followed by 'A 12'. The highest antiradical activity (ARP) was obtained by 'Muro Lucano 139' isolate. Wild P. eryngii isolates were characterized by higher water and β-glucans contents compared to the commercial ones, and the highest values were registered for the 'Albino beige chiaro 1094' isolate. In conclusion, the present study allowed us to identify the commercial and wild-type P. eryngii isolates from the Basilicata region, with high nutritional and medicinal value based on their bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural strategies for protecting the environment as well as plant, animal and human health is considered one of the main goals of developed countries. Recently, the use of absorbent polymers and hydrogel in agriculture has demonstrated several benefits for soil amendments, saving water content, reducing the consumption of soil nutrients, minimizing the negative impacts of dehydration and moisture stress in crops and controlling several phytopathogens. The seed-coating technology for establishing the crops is a recent common practice used for improving seed protection and enhancing plant growth. Coating materials include absorbent polymers and hydrogels based on growth regulators, pesticides, fertilizers and antagonist microorganisms. The current review has highlighted the importance of different types of superabsorbent polymers and hydrogels in an integrated strategy to protect seeds, plants and soil in a balanced manner to preserve the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive use of agricultural soils and the reduction in their organic matter, following circular economy and environmental sustainability concepts, determined a strong attention in considering composting as a preferred method for municipalities and industries to recycle organic by-products. Microorganisms degrade organic matter for producing CO2, water and energy, originating stable humus named compost. The current study analyzed the chemical composition of a cow slurry on-farm digestate and a more stabilized digestate-derived compost (DdC), along with their phytotoxic, genotoxic and antifungal activities. The chemical analysis showed that digestate cannot be an ideal amendment due to some non-acceptable characteristics. Biological assays showed that the digestate had phytotoxicity on the tested plants, whereas DdC did not induce a phytotoxic effect in both plants at the lowest dilution; hence, the latter was considered in subsequent analyses. The digestate and DdC induced significant antifungal activity against some tested fungi. DdC did not show genotoxic effect on Vicia faba using a micronuclei test. Soil treated with DdC (5 and 10%) induced damping-off suppression caused by Fusarium solani in tomato plants. The eco-physiological data indicated that DdC at 5–10% could increase the growth of tomato plants. In conclusion, DdC is eligible as a soil amendment and to strengthen the natural soil suppressiveness against F. solani. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are important sources of vitamins and minerals and widely used in the dietary supplement industry. An aqueous extract of its leathery exocarp (LEP) was obtained by a solid-phase micro-extraction method. The antifungal activity was examined against the phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Penicillium digitatum and Botrytis cinerea, and the antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli, Xanthomonas campestris,Bacillus megaterium and Clavibacter michiganensis. The antimicrobial assays showed, in some cases, a promising antimicrobial effect compared to the synthetic drugs. The possible anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of the LEP extract were investigated by the Ellman's assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, respectively, and their results showed that the LEP extract has an effective anti-acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect and an antioxidant activity. Thus, the LEP extract could be valid as a candidate for further studies on the use of pomegranate in neurodegenerative diseases as a food preservative and a suitable substitute to control several phytopathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants are affected by soil environments to the same extent that they affect soil functioning through interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Here, five plant species (broad bean, pea, cabbage, fennel, and olive) grown under controlled pot conditions were tested for their ability to differently stimulate the degradation of standard litter. Litter, soil C and N contents were measured for evaluating chemical changes due to plant presence, while soil microbial abundance was evaluated to assess if it had a positive or negative catalyzing influence on litter decomposition. The architecture and morphological traits of roots systems were also evaluated by using specific open-source software (SmartRoot). Soil chemical and microbiological characteristics were significantly influenced by the plant species. Variations in soil C/N dynamics were correlated with the diversity of root traits among species. Early stage decomposition of the standard litter changed on the basis of the plant species. The results indicated that key soil processes are governed by interactions between plant roots, soil C and N, and the microbial metabolism that stimulate decomposition reactions. This, in turn, can have marked effects on soil chemical and microbiological fertility, both fundamental for sustaining crops, and can promote the development of new approaches for optimizing soil C and N cycling, managing nutrient transport, and sustaining and improving net primary production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sassi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its rupestrian churches, are richly decorated and visited by thousands of visitors every year. It is important to preserve this heritage which shows signs of deterioration due to abiotic and/or biotic factors. Aiming to carry out in the future an environmental-friendly restoration, a screening of the fungi present on walls and frescoes of two rupestrian churches "Santa Lucia alle Malve" and "La Madonna dei derelitti" located, respectively, in the "Sasso Caveoso" and in the "Sasso Barisano" was performed. Isolation and characterization of fungal species from investigated sites was carried out. Total genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from pure fungal cultures and subsequently utilized in PCRs using primers that amplify a portion of the ribosomal DNA (ITS5/ITS4) or the β-tubulin gene (Bt2a/Bt2b). The amplicons were directly sequenced. Obtained nucleotide sequences were compared to those present in the GenBank (NCBI) showing a very high similarity (99–100%) with the following species: Parengyodontium album, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Lecanicillium psalliotae, Meyerozyma guilliermondii and Botryotrichum atrogriseum. All sequences from this study were deposited in the EMBL database. Detailed knowledge about fungi isolated from stone is indispensable not only to counter/reduce the structural and aesthetic damage but also to protect the health of both guardians and visitors who may develop different pathologies due to the spores diffused in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, tenoxicam (H2Ten) reacted with Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn (II) ions in the presence of 1.10-phenthroline (Phen), forming new mixed ligand metal complexes. The properties of the formed complexes were depicted by elemental analyses, infrared, electronic spectra, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric (TGA) and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis, molar conductance and magnetic moment. IR spectra demonstrated that H2Ten acted as a neutral bidentate ligand, coordinated to the metal ions via the pyridine-N and carbonyl group of the amide moiety, and Phen through the nitrogen atoms. Kinetic thermodynamics parameters activation energy (E*), enthalpy of activation (ΔH*), entropy of activation (ΔS*), Gibbs, free energy (ΔG*) associated to the complexes have been evaluated. Antibacterial screening of the compounds was carried out in vitro against Clavibacter michiganensis, Xanthomonas campestris and Bacillus megaterium. Antifungal activity was performed in vitro against Monilinia fructicola, Penicillium digitatum and Colletotrichum acutatum. The possible phytotoxic effect of the studied compounds was also investigated on Solanum lycopersicum (tomatoes) and Lepidium sativum (garden cress) seeds. The anticancer activity was screened against cell cultures of HCT-116 (human colorectal carcinoma), HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) and MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching for new bio-based herbicides is crucial for decreasing chemical pollution, protecting the environment, and sustaining biodiversity. Origanum vulgare is considered a promising source of essential oil with herbicidal effect. The mode of action is not known. The present study focused on (1) comparison of phytotoxic activity of Origanum vulgare EO on monocot (Triticum aestivum and Hordeum vulgare) and dicot species (Lepidium sativum and Sinapis alba); (2) and evaluating other antimicrobial biological activities against phytopatogen bacteria (Clavibacter michiganensis, Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, Pseudomonas savastanoi, and Xanthomonas campestris); antifungal activity against Monilinia fructicola, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum, and Botrytis cinerea; cytotoxic activity and antioxidant activity. According to the GC/MS analyses, the EO belongs to the thymol chemotype O. vulgare with its high content of thymol (76%). Germination of all four species was not influenced by EO. The phytotoxic effect was statistically significant in the monocot species, while in the dicot species the opposite was observed—a stimulation effect, which was also statistically significant. Strong biological activity of O. vulgare EO was noted on all phytopatogen bacteria and fungi in the highest dose. Cytotoxic activity showed an IC50 = 50.5 μg/mL. Antioxidant activity showed an IC50 = 106.6 μg/mL after 45 min experimental time. Based on the presented results, it is possible to conclude that thymol chemotype O. vulgare essential oil could be potentially used as a herbicide with selective effects on monocot plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in a potential use of essential oils (EOs) as a replacement for traditional pesticides and herbicides. The aims of this study were to: (i) Identify the chemical composition of the two EOs derived from Origanum heracleoticum L. and O. majorana L., (ii) evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of the EOs against some postharvest phytopathogens (Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus niger and Monilinia fructicola), (iii) evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity against Bacillus megaterium, Clavibacter michiganensis, Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola, (iv) evaluate the effect of both studied EOs on the spore germination percentage and their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against M. fructicola, and (v) study the possible phytotoxicity of the two EOs and their major constituents, carvacrol for O. heracleoticum and terpinen-4-ol for O. majorana, against tha germination and initial radicle growth of radish, lettuce, garden cress and tomato. The two EOs demonstrated promising in vitro antimicrobial and antifungal activities against all tested microorganisms. EOs showed high inhibition of spore germination percentage at the minimal inhibitory concentration of 500 and 2000 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, both germination and radical elongation of selected plant species were sensitive to the oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant essential oils (EOs) are one of the most relevant natural products due to their biological, medicinal, and nutritional properties. The promising biological effects of many plants EOs encourage researchers to study their biochemical properties to be used as possible natural alternatives for commercial pesticides and not only as herbal medicines. The current research has been conducted to study the microbicide effect of Solidago canadensis L. EO to control some common plant diseases caused by several postharvest phytopathogenic fungi (Monilinia fructicola, Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium expansum) in comparison with Azoxystrobin as a large spectrum fungicide. The antibacterial activity has been carried out against some phytopathogenic bacteria (Bacillus megaterium and Clavibacter michiganensis (G+ve) and Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (G−ve)) compared to the synthetic antibiotic Tetracycline. Minimum inhibitory concentration was carried out to determine the lowest effective EO dose using a 96-well microplate. The cell membrane permeability was also evaluated by measuring the electric conductivity (EC) to examine the possible mechanisms of action of S. canadensis EO. Chemical characterization of EO has been carried out using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty-two identified components in S. canadensis EO presented 97.7% of total compounds in EO. The principal compounds were identified as germacrene D (34.9%), limonene (12.5%), α-pinene (11.6%), β-elemene (7.1%), and bornyl acetate (6.3%). In addition, S. canadensis EO demonstrated promising in vitro antimicrobial activities against the majority of tested phytopathogens at all tested concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three novel mixed ligand metal complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of Zn(II), Sn(II), and Ce(III) with gemifloxacin (GMFX) in the presence of glycine (Gly) (1:1:1 molar ratio). The coordination possibility of the two ligands toward metal ions has been proposed in the light of elemental analysis, molar conductance, spectral infrared (IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and proton-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and magnetic studies. Results suggest that GMFX and Gly interact with the metal ions as bidentate ligands. Electronic and magnetic data proposed the octahedral structure for all complexes under investigation. Antibacterial screening of the compounds was carried out in vitro against two Gram-positive bacteria, Clavibacter michiganensis and Bacillus megaterium, and two Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Xanthomonas campestris. Antifungal activity was performed in vitro against Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium digitatum. The ligands and their complexes were also screened for their antioxidant activity. Results showed that some metal complexes showed more biological efficiency than the parent GMFX drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation focused on the deterioration of the walls in the hypogeum of "San Pietro Barisano" rupestrian church, located in the Matera-Sassi (Southern Italy), one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The study evaluated the biocide activity of a mixture of natural glycoalkaloids (GAs) extracted from the unripe fruit of Solanum nigrum and applied to clean a hypogeum wall surface in the church affected by bio-patinas. The analyzed bio-patina, collected before treatment and, at pre-established times, after treatment, showed changes in chemical composition detected by XPS, accompanied by visible discoloration and biological activity variation. The biocidal action of the glycoalkaloids mixture, directly employed on the wall surface, was effective after about four weeks for most bio-patina colonizers but not for the fungal species that can migrate and survive in the porosities of the calcarenite. Consequently, the cleaning procedure requires the integration of fungicidal actions, combined with the consolidation of the surfaces, to obtain complete bioremediation and avoid subsequent biological recolonization. SEM images and associated microanalysis of pretreated bio-patina have revealed the biocalcogenity of some autochthonous microorganisms, thus preluding to their eventual isolation and reintroduction on the wall surface to act as consolidants once the bio-cleaning phase has been completed.