Search

Oral hygiene is an important aspect for the well-being of an individual which could be achieved by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As oral cavity is an open gateway for various microorganisms, multiple complications can occur due to entry of pathogenic microbes through mouth and accumulation in the oral cavity resulting in deterioration of teeth gradually. The saliva produced in the mouth contains various enzymes which possess antibacterial activity. Oral health loss may lead to one or many of the complications such as oral infection, oral cancer, radiating pain, periodontal diseases, tooth loss, and tooth decay. Therefore, maintenance of proper oral health is fundamental for “adding years to life and life to years” any negligence may cause severe complications in the long run.

Although second generation biofuel technology is a sustainable route for bioethanol production it is not currently a robust technology because of certain hindrances viz., unavailability of potential enzyme resources, low efficiency of enzymes and restricted availability of potent enzymes that work under harsh conditions in industrial processes. Therefore, bioprospecting of extremophilic microorganisms using metagenomics is a promising alternative to discover novel microbes and enzymes with efficient tolerance to unfavourable conditions and thus could revolutionize the energy sector. Metagenomics a recent field in “omics” technology enables the genomic study of uncultured microorganisms with the goal of better understanding microbial dynamics. Metagenomics in conjunction with NextGen Sequencing technology facilitates the sequencing of microbial DNA directly from environmental samples and has expanded, and transformed our knowledge of the microbial world. However, filtering the meaningful information from the millions of genomic sequences offers a serious challenge to bioinformaticians. The current review holds the opinion tool ‘know- how’ to unravel the secrets of nature while expediting the bio-industrial world. We also discuss the novel biocatalytic agents discovered through metagenomics and how bioengineering plays a pivotal role to enhance their efficiency.

The effect of lead (Pb)-induced oxidative stress was investigated in Fagopyrum kashmirianum. The seedlings absorbed the Pb readily by showing time (15 and 30 days) and concentration (0, 100, 200 and 300 μM) dependent effects. Pb caused reduction in both root and shoot lengths but its accumulation was more in roots (22.32 mg g−1 DW) than shoots (8.86 mg g−1 DW) at the highest concentration (300 μM) resulting in translocation factor (TF)

Salt stress, which is dominant among environmental stresses, poses challenges to global agriculture. We studied the role of exogenous application of sodium chloride (NaCl) in three arid and three semi-arid genotypes of mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] by examining some physiological and biochemical stress indicators. Ten-day old seedlings were subjected to salt stress (00–250 mM) by split application along with the half strength Hoagland’s medium. The salt stress caused a decline in the fresh weight, dry weight, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids) and glutathione content of the seedlings. On the other hand, it increased the electrolyte leakage, lipoxygenase activity, and the proline, protein and total soluble sugar contents. Osmolyte accumulation was relatively higher in the arid genotypes revealing that they are more tolerant to NaCl stress. The physiological and biochemical screening provides a basic platform for selecting the stress-tolerant genotypes in the absence of suitable salt-tolerance markers in mungbean. Keywords: Lipoxygenase, Mungbean, NaCl, Osmolytes, Vigna radiata

Elaeagnus rhamnoides (syn.: Hippophae rhamnoides), also known as sea buckthorn, is a member of the Elaeagnaceae family. Every part of the plant is used as medicine, nutritional supplement, fuel and fence, and therefore sea buckthorn is popularly known as ‘Gold Mine’, ‘Wonder Plant’ or ‘Golden Bush’. This plant contains a series of chemical compounds, possessing various biological as well as therapeutic activities including hepato-protective, antitumoural and immunumodulatory properties. The fruits of sea buckthorn have been used as a raw material for foods and medicines for decades in various regions of the world including China, Russia, North America and Europe. Berry products of sea buckthorn are nowadays becoming popular foods in the United States, Canada, Finland, Germany, and some other European countries. During the last decade sea buckthorn has attracted special attention and became an important subject for domestication in many countries as it is one of the most interesting plants for human use. However, the commercial cultivation and exploitation of sea buckthorn berries using its secondary compounds such as flavonoids, vitamins and carotenes for high quality food products or even to produce basic products such as juices is differently developed in Europe, Asia and Russia/NIS. Industrial cultivation, medicinal use, and processing of sea buckthorn berries need to be aligned according to different purposes, e.g. direct consumption, processing, juice or oil production, juice yield or composition of active compounds, seed oil or pulp oil, compounds to be enriched, etc. The medicinal and/or nutritional components of berries will provide very cheap raw material for national and international pharmaceutical industries, benefiting humanity worldwide. That’s why, sea buckthorn is one among the R&D subjects of the pharmaceutical industries all over the world. For this purpose, this chapter highlights the latest information about the sea buckthorn with an emphasis on its morphological features, taxonomic status, ecological and ecophysiological characteristics, biomorphological characteristics of some cultivars, phytochemical contents, traditional uses, potential medicinal characteristics, and other potential economical uses.

The ecological and commercial importance of red algae is of high value, the estimated cost seaweed industry produces is US$10 billion. The species which are exploited most are the members of Rhodophyta (Eucheuma/Kappaphycus, Porphyra, and Gracilaria). In order to understand the distribution of seaweed, their identification is necessary which is generally based on morphological characteristics, often resulting in wrong identification of species. DNA barcoding can be used as a contemporary tool for species identification. It can resolve many intrinsic problems of morphological taxonomy, only a small amount of tissue is required for species identification, and the samples can be examined at all stages of development. The application of DNA barcoding can be used in the identification of invasive and endangered species along with conservation biology. In the case of red algae, DNA barcoding proved to be beneficial for the recognition of high-yielding agar strain as well as for cryptic species identification. In this study, several identification-based problems of red algae have been discussed by using different intraspecific markers such as cox1, cox3, and cox2–3 spacer and rbcL and rbcL-rbcS spacer. As per the available data, the mitochondrial marker gene cox1 is more effective than rbcL for the measurement of red algal genetic diversity.

Sarawak is endowed with numerous pristine and estuarine mangroves. However, information pertaining to the species composition and diversity of pristine mangroves of Sarawak is scanty. Hence, this study was carried out to assess the plant composition and diversity of Sibuti mangrove forest, Miri, Sarawak to investigate the current status and diversity of vegetation. Nine mangrove plant species were recorded employing the line transect (100–240 m) survey method. Major mangrove species were Rhizophora apiculata, Xylocarpus granatum, and Nypa fruticans. The stand density was recorded as 1938.46 ± 482.24 trees ha−1, 1722.22 ± 254.58 saplings ha−1, and 6222.22 ± 384.90 seedlings ha−1. The mean diameter, height, and basal area for the whole forest stand were 20.83 ± 13.79 cm, 13.53 ± 5.55 m, and 201.83 ± 12.68 m2 ha−1, respectively. The mean diameter of the dominant species R. apiculata was 24.10 ± 13.90 cm, height 15.18 ± 5.09 m, and basal area 176.13 ± 12.73 m2 ha−1. The importance value index (IVI) of R. apic...

Jasmonates (JAs), the derivatives of lipids, act as vital signaling compounds in diverse plant stress responses and development. JAs are known to mediate defense responses against herbivores, necrotrophic pathogens, nematodes and other micro-organism besides alleviating abiotic stresses including UV-stress, osmotic stress, salt stress, cold stress, temperature stress, heavy metal stress, ozone stress etc. Jasmonate signaling does not work alone while mediating defense responses in plants but it functions in multifarious crosstalk network with other phytohormone signaling pathways such as auxin, gibberellic acid (GA), and salicylic acid. The present review gives the holistic approach about the role of jasmonates in counteracting the stress whether biotic or abiotic. Jasmonates regulate beneficial plant–microbe interactions, such as interactions with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Plants are able to extract metal(loid) contaminants from the soil or water through their roots and translocate them to harvestable aerial shoots. Of late, this plant potential has been used as a phytotechnology, termed as phytoextraction, for cleaning contaminated sites, and this process has successfully removed elements like As, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb, among others. Exploring plants with high metal-accumulation capacity, as well as engineering new hyperaccumulators, is a need of the hour. It is assumed that hyperaccumulators have a >1 shoot:root metal-accumulation ratio, which they achieve by way of (i) overexpression of transport systems for improved sequestration, (ii) tissue-specific protein expression, and (iii) high concentration of metal chelators. Unlike nonhyperaccumulators, the hyperaccumulating species normally bind metal ions to weak oxygen ligands and use strong ligands only for transient binding during transport to storage sites. Adequate understanding of genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology of metal accumulation is a prelude to developing transgenics with improved phytoremediation capacity. Current research in plant breeding, genomics, and proteomics suggest promising leads to the creation of “remediation” cultivars. Several transporter genes associated with metal uptake, transport, and accumulation have been identified. Efforts are underway to enhance the phytoextraction capacity of relevant species, not only by using chelating agents but also by attempting hybridization, protoplast fusion, as well as genetic engineering through novel gene transfer, overexpression of genes, and (or) reverse gene insertion, to enhance (i) transpiration rate; (ii) uptake, translocation, and metabolism of metals; (iii) activity of enzymes related to rate-limiting steps; and (iv) transformation of accumulated metal to volatile forms, and (or) silencing gene(s) that encode proteases. Genome evolution in hyperaccumulators needs to be understood through a systematic study of ecological and molecular genomics. Sequencing of a complete genome of hyperaccumulators can help in identifying the promising functional noncoding regions in the genome, thus making the experimental analysis more accurate. In addition to the constitutive overexpression of a single gene, simultaneous expression of several genes in specific cellular components has to be focused. Other areas that require expert attention include identification of metal-transporter proteins and the introduction of genes encoding the metal transporters, overexpression of metallothioneins and phytochelatin synthase, and overproduction of nicotianamine and histidine in plants. A comprehensive study of transgenic gene frequency, covering several plant generations growing on polluted as well as nonpolluted soils, may assess the possibility of gene escape into the environment and its transfer to the microorganisms present in the surroundings. This review attempts not only to collect and collate information available on mechanisms of metal accumulation and detoxification in plants and on the factors affecting the tolerance and phytoextraction capacity of plants but also the strategies that have been or can be devised for raising novel plant genotypes with elevated capacity of metal accumulation and toxicity tolerance.

Urbanization and industrialization have resulted in contamination of soils with heavy metals and other pollutants. Nickel (Ni) is one of the toxic metals, which adversely affect plant growth by altering different physiological and metabolic processes. Mineral nutrients can reduce toxic effects of Ni on physiological and metabolic functions of plants, thus improving plant growth. The role of calcium (Ca) to alleviate Ni toxicity in rice was investigated. Rice plants were grown with Ni (20 and 40 mg kg−1) and Ca (80 and 160 mg kg−1) in different combinations and without Ni and Ca as a control. Nickel (40 mg kg−1) significantly decreased shoot (54%) and root dry weights (54%), chlorophyll content (57%), the photosynthetic rate (two-fold), transpiration rate (34%) and stomatal conductance (39%) compared to control. Application of Ni (40 mg kg−1) increased the Ni concentration in shoots 22-fold and in roots 11-fold compared to control. Application of Ca (160 mg kg−1) reduced the adverse effects of Ni and the studied parameters improved to the maximum values compared to control. Calcium decreased the translocation of Ni towards the shoots that was evident from a lower translocation factor (42%) for the plants supplied with Ca compared to those grown without Ca (62%). The phytotoxicity induced by Ni on different growth and physiological parameters was alleviated by Ca as indicated by the minimum values of the phytotoxicity index for Ca fed plants (0) compared to those without Ca (2.6).

Nowadays, the energy requirement of increasing population is creating energy crisis, and it’s become a serious and alarming thread for sustainability of natural resources. Moreover, upcoming demand of energy requirement is growing faster in developing countries as compared to developed ones. Malaysia is one of the fastest growing, developing countries, which is experiencing drastic and regular growth in population and economy in the recent years. It is an urgent requirement for the government and policy makers to explore alternative energy sources to accomplish upcoming demands of a growing population in the form of energy sufficiency. Malaysia is blessed with tropical and sub-tropical climates, which are suitable for exploring the green agriculture and forest potential. Most of the available energy resources in the form of fossil fuels have already been explored, and it is expected that energy demand will grow continuously by two to three fold in the next decades. Biomass resource is abundant in Malaysia. This can be considered as an alternative source of renewable and sustainable energy, with a promising future to fulfil continuous and uninterrupted supply of energy. Agricultural biomass such as Industrial Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) has been successfully investigated as a great potential to be used as a renewable and sustainable feedstock for the production of bio-energy. Kenaf regarded as a traditional crop of Malaysia. Kenaf biomass would appear as a potential material for great sustainable energy (bioethanol, biohydrogen, bioenergy) supplier in the coming future. In this review, we have provided an insight of kenaf biomass, its morphology, structure, chemical compositions, storage and sowing, cultivation, harvesting, yield and different sustainable energy possible to get from it. We also discuss the feasibility of kenaf biomass as a sustainable energy source supplier in Malaysian prospective.

Groundwater is the most appropriate and widely used source of drinking water, which is increasingly threatened by pollution from industrial and agricultural activities. To check the severity of the problem, 156 groundwater samples were collected from various depths (60–110 ft) of 52 different localities in Faisalabad city, the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, and analyzed for the metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, Mn and Fe) concentration in 2009. Quantification was done by using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer technique and the results were compared with WHO standards for drinking water quality. Results showed that the levels of Cu, Mn and Fe were below the WHO standards while the concentrations of Zn, Cd, Ni and Pb were above the recommended levels of safe drinking water. Correlation analysis among the occurrence of these heavy metals revealed a highly significant and positive correlation of Mn with Zn and Fe. A significant and positive correlation of Cd was also found with Cu and groundwater depth showing that there is strong association between Cu-Cd pair and that the Cd concentration varies with depth of groundwater in the study area. Regional patterns of heavy metals occurrence were mapped using Geographical Information System (GIS) for the identification and demarcation of risk areas. The concentration maps may be used by policymakers of the city to mitigate groundwater pollution.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Phoenix dactylifera L. (Ajwa date) has high nutritive value and are consumed in Arabian Peninsula as an essential diet. Phoenix dactylifera L. have been mentioned in folk remedies of traditional Egyptian medicine and alternative medicine, for numerous health benefits including cancer treatment. The aim of the study is to evaluate the anticancer effects of the extract of Ajwa Date on human Prostate cancer cell line (PC3). Materials and methods Antiproliferative effect was measured using MTT assay. The long-term effect of EAFAD was determined using colony assay. Different stains like Giemsa and fluorescent stains (DAPI and acridine orange / Ethidium bromide) measured morphological changes. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased oxidative stress were measured using JC-1 and DCFH-DA dyes. DNA degradation was analyzed by comet assay. Cell cycle distribution was measured by flow cytometer. The apoptotic cell was quantified by annexin V-FITC and Propidium iodide dual staining using flow cytometer. Results PC3 cell line was treated with ethyl acetate fractions of Ajwa dates (EAFAD) to study their morphological and cellular changes and induction of apoptosis. MTT assay showed the strong inhibitory effect of EAFAD on PC3 cells. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased oxidative stress were observed in EAFAD treated cells, which suggested mitochondrial involvement in apoptosis. Comet assay proved DNA fragmentation induced by EAFAD. Flow Cytometer results demonstrated that Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining showed that EAFAD induced apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle in S phase. Conclusion Our results suggested EAFAD has potential therapeutics properties for prostate cancer.

Spatial and temporal distributions of tropospheric NO2 vertical column densities over Pakistan during the period 2002-2014 are discussed. Data products from three satellite instruments SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2 are used to prepare a database of tropospheric NO2 column densities over Pakistan and temporal evolution is also determined. Plausible NO2 sources in Pakistan are also discussed. The results show a large NO2 growth over all provinces and the major cities of Pakistan except the megacity of Karachi. Decline in industrial activities due to energy crises, worsening law and order situation, terrorist attacks, and political instability was explored as the main factor for lower NO2 VCDs over Karachi City. The overall increase can be attributed to the anthropogenic emissions over the areas with high population, traffic density, and industrial activities. Source identification revealed that use of fossil fuels by various sectors including power generation, vehicles, and residential sectors along with agriculture fires are among significant sources of NO2 emissions in Pakistan. Existing emission inventories such as EDGARv4.2 and MACCity largely underestimate the true anthropogenic NOx emissions in Pakistan. This study may provide vital information to policy makers and regulatory authorities in developing countries, including Pakistan, in order to devise effective air pollution abatement policies.

WOS: 000411432200007, Continuous irrigation of soils with untreated effluents can result in the accumulation and translocation of some metals in the soils and plants. Application of farmyard manure (FYM) to such soils may increase or decrease their availability and retention time. Calcareous soils contaminated with 100, 200, and 400mg kg(-1) Ni, Zn, and Pb as chloride salts were used, and farmyard manure added (40g kg(-1) for 90 days) with moisture contents at field capacity. Soil samples were drawn at 30 day intervals, and metals extracted with (AB-DTPA) C14H23NO3O10. With FYM application of 400 mg kg(-1), Ni availability increased from 179 (day 30) to 240 mg kg(-1) (day 90); Zn from 163 (day 30) to 230 mg kg(-1) (day 90), but, Pb decreased from 214 to 161 mg kg(-1). FYM forms multi-dentate complex which greatly enhances the Ni and Zn solubility, and organic matter immobilizes Pb in the soil.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is one of the primary factors limiting crop production on acid sulfate soils. In the present study, two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis approach (2D-PAGE) was applied to identify Al tolerance, plant growth promotion and separately expressed proteins were determined using mass spectrometry. Seedlings of rice were grown in an acid sulfate soil. Bio-fertilizer containing acid-tolerant and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) were given alone or in combination with ground magnesium limestone (GML) at 4 t ha−1. Leaf samples were taken at 45 days after transplanting. Results exhibited that the application of bio-fertilizer and GML increased soil pH and leaf chlorophyll content. Highest plant height, root length and tiller number were observed in the modified treatments. A total of eight different proteins have been identified to be differentially expressed in rice leaf tissues by mass spectrometry analysis that exposed the differential expression of certain vital proteins. The identified proteins were involved in tolerating abiotic stress, disease resistance, oxidation–reduction process and internal plant physiological functions. Results of analyzing multiple protein spots have shown their involvement for the promotion of plant development and reduction of Al toxicity. The study thus confirms the primary role of PGPB containing bio-fertilizer with GML on growth of rice under Al toxic conditions in acid sulfate soil.

Drought is one of the most common abiotic stresses, affecting the growth and productivity of crop plants globally, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Different strategies are used to mitigate the impact of drought among crop plants. Exogenous application of different substances are known to decrease the effects of various abiotic stresses, including drought stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Ca2+ and H2O2 in developing drought stress tolerance in Brassica napus “Bulbul-98” seedlings. Brassica napus “Bulbul-98” seedlings were exposed to 5, 10 and 15 mM Ca2+ and 2, 5 and 10 μM H2O2 concentrations twice at an interval of two days for up to 20 days after germination. Drought stress decreased relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content and increased proline, H2O2, soluble protein and electrolyte leakage in Brassica seedlings. Exogenous Ca2+ (5, 10,15 mM) and H2O2 (2, 5, 10 μM) supplementations, during drought stress induction, showed a significant increase in RWC by 5.4%, 18.06%, 26.2% and 6.87%, 13.9%, 18.3% respectively. Similarly, with the exogenous application of Ca2+ (5, 10, 15 mM) and H2O2 (2, 5, 10 μM), chlorophyll content was increased by 15.03%, 22.2%, and 28.4%, and 9.6%, 23.3%, and 27.5% respectively. It was confirmed that the seedlings under drought stress that were supplemented with Ca2+ and H2O2 recovered from water content reduction and chlorosis, and were able to grow normally.

Gypsophila sphaerocephala is a naturally Boron (B) tolerant species that can grow around the B mining areas in Turkey, where the B concentration in soil reaches a lethal dose for plants (up to similar to 8900 mg kg(-1) (similar to 140 mM). While its interesting survival capacity in extremely B containing soils, any molecular research has been conducted to understand its high tolerance mechanism yet. In the present study, we have performed a proteomic analysis of this plant to understand its high tolerance towards B-stress. Seedlings of G. sphaerocephala were collected from B mining area and were adapted to greenhouse conditions. An excessive level of Boric acid (3 mM) was applied to the plantlets for 24 h. Total proteins were precipitated by using TCA/Acetone method. 2D-PAGE (two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) analysis of the proteins was carried out. Out of 121 protein spots, 14 were differentially expressed between the control and B-exposed G. sphaerocephala roots. The peptide profile of each protein was determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer after in-gel trypsin digestion. The identified proteins are involved in different mechanisms in the cell such as in antioxidant mechanism, energy metabolism, protein degradation, lipid biosynthesis and signaling pathways, indicating that G. sphaerocephala has multiple cooperating mechanisms to protect itself from high B levels. Overall, this study sheds light on to the possible regulatory switches (gene/s) controlling the B-tolerance proteins and their possible roles in plant's defense mechanism.

Bioinformatics and systems biology has adapted an essential role in the study of medicinal plants today. With an ever-increasing genomic and proteomic information, it is necessary to interpret the data adequately. Bioinformatics has led to the discovery of new genetic players and helped in the characterization of many of the new genes and proteins. Moreover, its tools have helped in deciphering important relationships between the various molecular players. However, as the data increases exponentially, a parallel growth of the bioinformatics tools and methods is inevitable. There is a constant need to develop new means to carry out data management, analysis, visualization, and prediction. In this chapter, the key applications of bioinformatics in understanding medicinal plant biology have been discussed with a special emphasis on the incorporation of bioinformatics tools and methods. All these aspects have been covered in the light of omics technologies including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Toward the end of the chapter, the current and future trends in the field of bioinformatics pertaining to medicinal plants have been discussed.

Glycyrrhiza glabra is one of the most popular medicinal plants and it has been used in traditional herbal remedy since ancient times (Blumenthal et al. in Herbal medicine: expanded commission E monographs. Integrative Medicine Communications, Newton, 2000; Parvaiz et al. in Global J Pharmocol 8(1):8–13, 2014; Altay et al. in J Plant Res 129(6):1021–1032, 2016). Many experimental, pharmacological and clinical studies show that liquorice has antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antihepatotoxic, antioxidant, antiulcer, anti-hemorrhoid antihyperglycemic, antidiuretic, antinephritic, anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic, anticytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and blood stopper activity.

Plastids are membrane-bound organelles which have their own genome, known as plastome, that encodes various genes involved in the production of energy for the cells. Similar to mitochondrial genomes, plastomes also exhibit disparate architectures with variable structure and content. At present, the number of sequenced plastid genomes exceeds 1400 in the genomic databases, which was possible with the recent advances in the sequencing technology. This genomic data of plastids has been extensively used to investigate evolutionary relationships between plants. Since the size of the plastid genome is smaller, therefore, sequencing of plastid genome is a cost-effective way to decipher information content within this genome.As the number of sequenced plastid genomes is becoming increasingly available in public databases, many potential applications of plastid genomes such as barcoding, gene loss, plastid DNA replication, and their role in synthetic biology(Tonti-Filippini et al. (2017) Plant J 90(4):808–818) are being proposed. In this chapter, we have summarized the currently available plastid genomes and reviewed the plastomes of some of the important plant families including grass and legumes.

An evaluation of the characteristics for ecological sustainability makes medicinal, aromatic, and other economically important plants more important. It is not possible to place a price on these services, but need to be protected as economic indicators (Costanza and Farber in Ecol Econ 41:367–373, 2002, Farber et al. in BioScience 56:121–133, 2006). The work on the conservation of the economically important medicinal and other plants in this context has big priority. It is also necessary in the conservation efforts to look for the scope of cooperation for these plants with the local people. A protection of genetic resources in this direction is the most urgent question (Svetlana et al. in Genetic resources, chromosome engineering, and crop improvement. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 207–220, 2012, Ozturk et al. in Drug discovery from herbs—approaches and applications. DAYA Publishing House, New Delhi-India, pp 327–367, 2017a). Sustainable conservation of genetic resources from our natural wealth and for future research is also very important (Ozturk et al. in Sabkha ecosystems vol IV cash crop halophytes biodiversity & conservation. Tasks for vegetation science series, Springer, NY, USA, pp 247–272, 2014, Ozturk et al. in Halophytes for food security in dry lands. Elsevier, 2016).

Liquorice is a plant with a rich ethnobotanical history, and used throughout the world as a drug in traditional folk medicine. The vast range of biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antioxidant, antiviral of the phytochemicals present in the extract has been of immense importance in phytotherapeutics. There is an immense need to modify the natural Glycyrrhiza constituents like glycyrrhizin to reduce these side effects, thereby generating the advanced versions of the bioactive compounds to be used as drugs in future medical applications (Sharma and Agrawal in Mintage J Pharm Med Sci 2:15–20, 2013). The screening for a particular activity can be achieved using automated high-throughput assay system to arrive to a “lead” molecule suitable for the development into a new drug (Eldridge et al. in Anal Chem 74:3963–3971, 2002). Glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, glabridin, and isoliquiritigenin hold a strong promise in designing future drugs. Derivatives of these compounds are being generated to evaluate their pharmacological purposes for future drug use. The advances in drug discovery with tools like the high-throughput system, proteomics, genomics, and informatics (Bio/chem. and pharmaco) have further enhanced the evaluation of these newly generated compounds for their future medical applications (Sharma and Agrawal in Mintage J Pharm Med Sci 2:15–20, 2013). Many studies demonstrate that liquorice has beneficial effects for treatment of severe diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, immunodeficiency, hormone deficiency, and viral, skin, and respiratory diseases. However, further studies are necessary to confirm these effects on the face (Asl and Hosseinzadeh in Licorice (Glycyrrhiza species). CRC Press, LLC, Taylor & Francis, USA, pp 935–958, 2012).

Withania ashwagandha (Solanaceae) is an annual herb of immense medicinal value largely due to the presence of array of steroidal lactones called withanolides. The present study was conducted to determine chemical and morphological variability among five W. ashwagandha (WA) populations collected from different regions of India. Variation in the contents of three promising bioactive withanolide, namely withanolide A (WS-1), withanone (WS-2) and withaferin A (WS-3) and morphological characters including plant height, number of shoots, root yield, and leaf biomass per plant were investigated. A considerable degree of variation in these bioactive withanolides and morphological characters was detected among the populations. Plant height and plant biomass were the highest in plants collected from Manasa population followed by Hyderabad. Leaves were found to be the principle organ for WS-3 accumulation while roots mainly accumulate WS-1, suggesting a spatial variation of withanolides. Plants of Manasa population alone showed the presence of WS-2. Withanolide accumulation was also the highest in Manasa population, with 1.312% WS-3 in the leaves and 0.083% WS-1 in roots, suggesting that plants from Manasa (WA02) are elite with regard to the parameters investigated. Further, ontogenetic variation of bioactive withanolides was studied in WA02 at five developmental stages. Withanolide accumulation correlated positively with developmental stages and highest content of these withanolides was found at maturity in both roots and leaves indicating that plants be harvested at maturity stage for maximum economic benefit. These results would offer a suitable alternative for unwise random harvesting that leads to rapid reduction of the existing natural populations of W. ashwagandha and for use as potential pharmacological agents.

We investigated effect of farm yard manure (FYM) and compost applied to metal contaminated soil at rate of 1% (FYM-1, compost-1), 2% (FYM-2, compost-2), and 3% (FYM-3, compost-3). FYM significantly (P0.001) increased dry weights of shoots and roots while compost increased root dry weight compared to control. Amendments significantly increased nickel (Ni) in shoots and roots of maize except compost applied at 1%. FYM-3 and -1 caused maximum Ni in shoots (11.42 mg kg(-1)) and roots (80.92 mg kg(-1)), respectively while compost-2 caused maximum Ni (14.08 mg kg(-1)) and (163.87 mg kg(-1)) in shoots and roots, respectively. Plants grown in pots amended with FYM-2 and compost-1 contained minimum Cu (30.12 and 30.11 mg kg(-1)) in shoots, respectively. FYM-2 and compost-2 caused minimum zinc (Zn) (59.08 and 66.0 mg kg(-1)) in maize shoots, respectively. FYM-2 caused minimum Mn in maize shoots while compost increased Mn in shoots and roots compared to control. FYM and compost increased the ammonium bicarbonate diethylene triamine penta acetic acid (AB-DTPA) extractable Ni and Mn in the soil and decreased Cu and Zn. Lower remediation factors for all metals with compost indicated that compost was effective to stabilize the metals in soil compared to FYM.

Cadmium signifies a severe threat to crop productivity and green gram is a notably iron sensitive plant which shows considerable variation towards cadmium stress. A gel-based proteomics analysis was performed with the roots of green gram exposed to iron and cadmium combined treatments. The resulting data show that twenty three proteins were down-regulated in iron-deprived roots either in the absence (−Fe/−Cd) or presence (−Fe/+Cd) of cadmium. These down-regulated proteins were however well expressed in roots under iron sufficient conditions, even in the presence of cadmium (+Fe/+Cd). The functional classification of these proteins determined that 21% of the proteins are associated with nutrient metabolism. The other proteins in higher quantities are involved in either transcription or translation regulation, and the rest are involved in biosynthesis metabolism, antioxidant pathways, molecular chaperones and stress response. On the other hand, several protein spots were also absent in roots in response to iron deprivation either in absence (−Fe/−Cd) or presence (−Fe/+Cd) of cadmium but were well expressed in the presence of iron (+Fe/+Cd). Results suggest that green gram plants exposed to cadmium stress are able to change the nutrient metabolic balance in roots, but in the mean time regulate cadmium toxicity through iron supplements.

Withania somnifera (L) Dunal, commonly known as ashwagandha or Indian ginseng, is the source of large number of pharmacologically active withanolides. Withaferin-A (WS-3), a major withanolide of W. somnifera, has been proven to be an effective anti-cancer molecule. In this study, a liquid culture system for shoot proliferation, biomass accumulation and withaferin-A production of an elite accession (AGB002) of W. somnifera was investigated. The nodal explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) semi-solid medium supplemented with various concentrations of 6-benzyl adenine (BA) and Kinetin (Kn) elicited varied responses. The highest number of regenerated shoots per ex-plant (35 ± 3.25) and the maximum average shoot length (5.0 ± 0.25 cm) were recorded on MS medium supplemented with BA (5.0 μM). The shoots were further proliferated in half and full strength MS liquid medium supplemented with the same concentration BA. It was interesting to note that shoots cultured on MS half strength liquid medium fortified with 4 gL-1 FW (fresh weight) shoot inoculum mass derived from 5 week old nodal explants of W. somnifera showed highest accumulation of biomass and withaferin A content in 5 weeks. Withaferin A was produced in relatively high amounts (1.30 % and 1.10 % DW) in shoots cultured in half and full strength MS liquid media respectively as compared to natural field grown plants (0.85 % DW). A considerable amount of the withaferin A was also excreted in the culture medium. Successful proliferation of shoots in liquid medium and the synthesis of withaferin A in vitro opens new avenues for bioreactor scale-up and the large-scale production of the compound.

Nickel (Ni) contamination in soil is a widespread problem in this era of industrial development. Plant cultivars respond differentially to Ni contamination in soil. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of different Ni levels to the growth and mineral status of two wheat cultivars (Sehar-2006 and LU-26). Five different levels of Ni as NiSO4 · 4 H2O (0, 30, 45, 60, and 75 mg kg−1) were applied to soil in the pots. LU-26 performed better compared to Sehar-2006 in terms of dry weight production and physiological parameters. LU-26 contained higher Ni in roots compared to Sehar-2006, but the Ni concentration in shoots of both the cultivars was similar. LU-26 translocated less Ni toward the shoot compared to Sehar-2006 indicating the exclusion of Ni from shoots and retaining it in roots by LU-26 as evident from bioconcentration and translocation factors. Contradictly, Sehar-2006 translocated more Ni from root to shoot indicating its tolerance to Ni. Ni increased manganese (Mn) in shoots of Sehar-2006 and LU-26 up to 60 and 30 mg kg−1, respectively. Ni decreased copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) concentration in shoots of both cultivars, however Zn concentration in roots increased at all levels of Ni. LU-26 excluded Ni from shoots and Sehar-2006 accumulated Ni in shoots. The present study helps in understanding the process of metal uptake and distribution during the early growth stages of the plant and can signify overall potential of a crop for its exploitation on contaminated soils.

We compared acetic, ascorbic, and oxalic acids with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to enhance phytoextraction of nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) by maize. Except ascorbic acid, acids significantly (P < 0.05) decreased shoot dry weight with maximum (5.60 g pot−1) recorded with ascorbic acid and minimum with oxalic acid (4.06 g pot−1). Maximum ammonium bicarbonate–diethylenetriaminepenta acetic acid (AB-DTPA)–extractable nickel (19.94 mg kg−1) was recorded with EDTA and it was minimum (10.57 mg kg−1) with oxalic acid. The EDTA significantly (P < 0.05) increased AB-DTPA-extractable lead while other acids decreased it. Except acetic acid, other acids significantly (P < 0.05) increased Ni and Zn concentration in shoots with maximum Ni (9.22 mg kg−1) and Zn (37.40 mg kg−1) with EDTA.

Despite the availability of anticancer drugs, breast cancer remains the most death-causing tumor-related disease in women. Hence, there is a need for discovery and development of efficient alternative drugs, and sources such as plants need to be explored. In this study, antioxidant capacities and inhibitory effects against MCF7 cells of the extracts of stem bark of three Nigerian medicinal plants (Detarium microcarpum, Guiera senegalensis, and Cassia siamea) were investigated. The D. microcarpum extracts had the highest antioxidant and antiproliferative effects, followed by that of G. senegalensis, and the C. siamea extracts had minimal effects. The IC50 values of the methanol and aqueous extracts from the three plants that inhibited the proliferation of MCF7 cells ranged from 78–> 500 μg/ml. Moreover, all the plant extracts but the aqueous extract of Cassia siamea exhibited antimetastatic action and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in MCF7 cells. Liquid chromatography/time-of-flight/mass spectrometry profiling revealed that the five potent extracts contain many phenols and omega-6 fatty acids, and some of the identified compounds (isorhamnetin, eupatorin, alpinumisoflavone, procyanidin B3, syringin, and gallic acid) have been reported to have antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. Hence, the stem bark of these plants could be potential sources of antibreast cancer agents.

Aim/Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is capable of utilizing heavy oil hydrocarbons as a sole carbon source. P. aeruginosa produce exopolysaccharide (EPS) in an inorganic medium in the presence of crude oil. Several environmental factors affect the majority of EPS production. Materials and Methods: Strain of P. aeruginosa were managed under various media (maintenance medium, inoculum, and basal media). Different heavy petroleum oil concentrations (5, 10, 20, and 30 ml/L) were used as solo carbon source to the basal medium. Various conditions of bacterial growth were monitored. The growth of cells was estimated by measuring the absorbance of the mixture of 1 ml of the basal medium diluted with 1 ml of distilled water at 600 nm spectrophotometrically. P. aeruginosa was grown aerobically in a production medium at 37°C and 150 rpm on a rotary shaker. The culture broth was centrifuged to separate the cells. The precipitated polysaccharide was separated by centrifugation and washed with ethanol, acetone, and ether, and then dried under reduced pressure oven at 45°C. The DPPH test was carried out as described by Burits and Bucar to monitor the free radical scavenging activities of the extracts. Results: The preferable culture conditions for EPS production were at 10 ml/L heavy oil, with 0.5 g/L NaNO3as best N sources at pH 6.0 after 5 days incubation. The net weight of purified EPS production was 0.5 g/L. Conclusion: The obtained polysaccharide showed antioxidant activity that possesses DPPH radical scavenging activity, with an EC50 =0.201.