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Cell death occurs under various developmental and stress conditions. Its involvement in plant response to pathogen attacks has been well studied in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In our present work, Fumonisin B1, a toxin from Fusarium verticillioides, a major fungal pathogen of cereals, was used as a biotic stressor to trigger responses in two wheat cultivars. Fumonisin B1 induced cell death in both Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistant and FHB susceptible cultivars (Frontana and Roblin, respectively). The treatment also triggered DNA smearing in both. However, the expression of two DNA repairing genes was enhanced in Frontana but not in Roblin. Our results have suggested potential regulatory differences in the response to FB1 toxin in FHB resistant and FHB susceptible cultivars.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) is one of the most widely cultivated crops in different parts of Saudi Arabia. The midribs rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are often burnt in the farms, causes severe environmental problems. In the present study, date palm midrib (DPM), these waste materials were powdered and incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Composites were prepared by varying the DPM loading (0–10 wt.%) using the solution casting method. Tensile and thermal properties were analyzed for the composites with respect to filler loading. Addition of DPM as filler enhanced the tensile modulus while an inverse effect was observed in the elongation values. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis showed a gradual increase in melting temperature (Tm) and crystallinity values for PVA. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the incorporation of DPM into PVA can increase the thermal stability of PVA. Morphology of the composites was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to the study of the effect of date palm seed (DPS) powder on the properties of recycled linear low-density polyethylene (RLLDPE) matrix. A series of composites was developed with a different filler loading varying from 0 to 30 wt% using twin screw extruder followed by compression molding. The result analysis showed that the addition of DPS decreases the percentage of crystallinity of RLLDPE (from 49.4 to 29.8). However, there were no changes in the heat of melting (T m) and crystallization (T cry) temperature which was determined by differential scanning calorimeter. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a decrease in thermal stability for RLLDPE with an increase in filler loading which was supported by the change in activation energy (700–456 kJ mol−1) calculated using Broido's plot. Due to the poor fiber–matrix adhesion, the mechanical properties of the DPS/RLLDPE decreased as function of the filler content and the result was corroborated by the images taken by scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]