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Synthetic fertilizers are widely employed in agriculture relative to biofertilizers. Long-term use affects soil fertility, plant vigor, human and livestock health, and the soil microbial community. Seaweeds were employed as biofertilizers in sustainable agriculture to overcome this issue and boost the agricultural productivity. Therefore, the current study investigates the effect of wheat seeds priming with the aqueous extracts of Ulva linza or Corallina officinalis seaweeds at various concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 30%). Wheat grains were primed with seaweed extracts and grown in petri dishes, and the germination rate, growth attributes, physiological parameters, cytological traits, and molecular analyses were evaluated. The physico-chemical characterization revealed that U. linza possessed higher levels of ash, soluble proteins, and sugars, as well as essential macronutrients and amino acids, than C. officinalis. Seedling growth parameters, physiological characteristics, and mitotic index all showed a substantial increase in low concentrations of both extracts when compared to the control. Higher concentrations, on the other hand, exhibited an inhibitory effect as well as certain chromosomal abnormalities. In the treated seedlings, new proteins were expressed, which could be owing to the activity of bioactive components in the extracts. As compared to untreated seedlings, PCR-RAPD analysis utilizing five markers revealed that both seaweed extracts triggered low and high molecular weight DNA fragments, as well as fragments specific to each extract. Seaweed extracts could be employed as an environmentally friendly and soil-safe alternative to typical chemical fertilizers.

Four palynological and three diatom zones of Mid-to Late Holocene are identified along a 370-cm-long radiocarbon dated sediment core collected in Lake Hamra at Wadi El Natrun (Western Nile Delta, Egypt). The Mid- Late Holocene between the Predynastic to Old Kingdom was terrestrial wetland habitat with high seasonal rainfall and/or Nile flood as revealed by the dominance of Cyperaceae pollen. Therefore, people gathered in and around the Nile Valley and the agricultural activities increased. During the early stage of Late Holocene coincident with the Old Kingdom to Middle Kingdom, the paleoclimate became more arid with low seasonal precipitation and/or Nile flood as reflected by the increasing abundance of Poaceae pollen and the absence of diatoms in addition to low values of TOC, TN, TS, C/S and high values of C/N. These drought conditions possibly played a role in the Old Kingdom collapsing. The late stage of the Late Holocene showed terrestrial wetland habitat with brackish conditions coupled with aquatic contribution under oxic conditions as inferred by the dominance of Typha sp. and Amaranthaceae pollens as well as the diatom assemblages. The relatively high values of TOC, C/N, C/S coupled with low values of TS and TN reveal terrestrial origin of organic matter. The Late Holocene-recent has turned into a terrestrial wetland habitat with more brackish conditions and increasing in the seasonal rainfall as supported by the marked increasing of Cyperaceae pollen. The overall increase of the Diatom Inferred Salinity (DIS) as well as the marked increasing of C/S, TN and decreasing of TOC, C/N and TS values towards the recent point to higher saline brackish wetland paleoenvironment and a terrestrial origin of the organic matter with more aquatic contribution under oxic conditions.

Lycopene is a natural carotenoid that has been reported to exhibit excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, male Wistar albino rats received lead (Pb) (300 mg/L, in drinking water) and/or lycopene (4mg/kg) for 8 consecutive weeks to investigate the ameliorative effect of lycopene upon Pb-induced nephrotoxicity. Renal damage was assessed by detecting serum level of urea, creatinine, acute kidney injury molecule-1and cystatin-C, in addition, serum level of some inflammatory cytokines were assessed. Also, renal lipid peroxide level and antioxidant status of the kidney with renal activity of energy metabolism enzymes (pyruvate kinase (PK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-P) were evaluated. Moreover, lead-induced nephrotoxicity was evaluated via light microscopy examination of renal tissues. Animals that received lycopene and Pb together showed enhanced kidney functions and minimal pathological alteration than Pb-treated rats. Moreover, lycopene administration significantly decreased serum level of inflammatory cytokines and boosted redox balance of the kidney. Furthermore, renal activity of PK and G-6-P enzymes was increased significantly upon administration of lycopene with Pb. In conclusion, this study elucidated the inhibitory effect of lead toxicity on renal glucose metabolic enzymes and declared that lycopene can ameliorate Pb-induced renal damage through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The present study aimed to investigate the enzymatic potential of Silybum marianum leaves to bioconvert phenolic acids produced in S. marianum callus into silymarin derivatives as chemopreventive agent. Here we demonstrate that despite the fact that leaves of S. marianum did not accumulate silymarin themselves, expanding leaves had the full capacity to convert di-caffeoylquinic acid to silymarin complex. This was proven by HPLC separations coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis. Soaking the leaf discs with S. marianum callus extract for different times revealed that silymarin derivatives had been formed at high yield after 16 h. Bioconverted products displayed the same retention time and the same mass spectra (MS or MS/MS) as standard silymarin. Bioconversion was achieved only when using leaves of a specific age, as both very young and old leaves failed to produce silymarin from callus extract. Only medium leaves had the metabolic capacity to convert callus components into silymarin. The results revealed higher activities of enzymes of the phenylpropanoid pathway in medium leaves than in young and old leaves. It is concluded that cotyledon-derived callus efficiently produces compounds that can be bio-converted to flavonolignans in leaves tissue of S. marianum.

There is a need to enhance the production of bioactive secondary metabolites and to establish new production systems, e.g., for liver-protective compounds of Silybum marianum seeds. Quantifying and identifying the produced phytochemicals, and examining their protective effects against genotoxic agents, is of great interest. This study established a protocol for the qualitative and quantitative production of hepatoprotective compounds in cotyledon-derived Silybum marianum callus through optimized supplementation of the MS medium with the growth regulators 2,4-D, benzylaminopurine, myoinositol, and asparagine. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) allowed for identification and quantification of the produced compounds. None of the growth medium combinations supported a detectable production of silymarin. Instead, the generated calli accumulated phenolic acids, in particular chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid, as revealed by HPLC and mass spectrometric analysis. 4-Nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) was employed in the AMES-test with Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 because it is a potent mutagen for this strain. Results revealed that callus extract had a high anti-genotoxic activity with respect to standard silymarin but more evident with respect seed extract. The callus produced chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid, which revealed higher bioactivity than silymarin. Both compounds were not formed or could not be detected in the seeds of Silybum marianum Egyptian ecotype.

The study aims to investigate effect of soaking Ammi visnaga seeds in the growth hormones gibberellic acid, kinetin, and naphthalene acetic acid (GA3, KN and NAA). Growth parameters at vegetative stage, in addition to the secondary compounds content especially khellin were measured using the HPLC analysis. Results showed that soaking in GA3 led to a noticeable increase in the length of the plant shoot, while the root depth increased by treatment with the NAA. Soaking seeds with GA3 100 ppm caused the highest plant weight with an increase by 63.38% compared with the control. High content of Chl. b and Carotenoids was observed by KN, while of Chl. it was by NAA. Soaking by the three plant hormones (GA3, KN and NAA) caused a slight increase in the content of the important medicinal component (khellin) in the plant seeds which suggested their utilization for increasing the medicinal value of Ammi visnaga.

There is a need to enhance the production of bioactive secondary metabolites and to establish new production systems, e.g., for liver-protective compounds of Silybum marianum seeds. Quantifying and identifying the produced phytochemicals, and examining their protective effects against genotoxic agents, is of great interest. This study established a protocol for the qualitative and quantitative production of hepatoprotective compounds in cotyledon-derived Silybum marianum callus through optimized supplementation of the MS medium with the growth regulators 2,4-D, benzylaminopurine, myoinositol, and asparagine. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) allowed for identification and quantification of the produced compounds. None of the growth medium combinations supported a detectable production of silymarin. Instead, the generated calli accumulated phenolic acids, in particular chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid, as revealed by HPLC and mass spectrometric analysis. 4-Nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) was employed in the AMES-test with Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 because it is a potent mutagen for this strain. Results revealed that callus extract had a high anti-genotoxic activity with respect to standard silymarin but more evident with respect seed extract. The callus produced chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid, which revealed higher bioactivity than silymarin. Both compounds were not formed or could not be detected in the seeds of Silybum marianum Egyptian ecotype.

Hydroxyurea (HU) is an anti-neoplastic drug which is used for treatment of many types of tumors; however, its wide range of deleterious effects may limit its medical usage. This study was conducted to assess the possible protective role of Panax ginseng extract (Ginseng) against HU- induced hepato-renal damage in rats. Forty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four equal groups (10 rats each). Group I (control) received 1ml purified water. Group II (Ginseng-treated) received 200 mg/kg body weight (b.wt) of Panax ginseng extract. Group III (HU-treated) received HU at a dose of 500 mg/ kg b.wt. Group IV (HU plus ginseng) received HU and Panax ginseng extract in similar doses of group II and III. All the treatments were administrated orally. Treatment with Panax ginseng failed to ameliorate the hematological alterations caused by HU, but, its ability to alleviate hepato-renal cytotoxic effect was proved through significant reduction in plasma level of hepato-renal injury biomarkers (AST, ALT, GGT, urea and creatinine) which were elevated in HU-treated group. Also, this effect was affirmed by decreased level of plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-I± and IL-6) and enhanced anti-oxidant state (decreased MDA content and increased GPX activity) of hepato-renal tissues upon Panax ginseng extract administration with HU. Histopathologically, HU induced impairments in both hepatic and renal tissues of the treated rats. Conversely, concurrent administration of ginseng with HU partially improved these alterations. Key words : hydroxyurea; hepato-renal toxicity; Panax ginseng; rats

A biotic stress mostly controls medicinal compounds productivity in the plant. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation on some active constituents in shoot and root of Cichorium pumilum (Chicory). Irradiated seeds with 20, 40, and 80 gray (Gy) by cobalt 60 gamma irradiation were cultivated under normal field conditions. Results showed that the plant dry weight was stimulated at the first growth stage and inhibited at the following stages. Photosynthetic pigments (chl. a & b) were inhibited but carotenoids increased as a defensive effect to the increase in gamma doses. Alkaloids content was twice the phenolic and several times the saponins content under the control plant. Saponin content in the plant root increased with all gamma doses and the highest increase (69.5%) was at 40 Gy compared to the control. Likewise, the total alkaloids content was increased by 49.7% at the 40 Gy in the plant shoot. Accumulation of alkaloids was more sensitive to gamma radiation in shoot than in root. The 40 Gy dose enhanced accumulation of total phenolic compounds in root. Increasing gamma dose to 80 Gy inhibited the accumulation of three secondary metabolites in plant shoots and roots especially the alkaloids content that was reduced per plant to the half. The study suggested 40 Gy dose as an efficient dose to induce the metabolism and accumulation of active compounds of Chicory plants. In addition, it certified the vegetative stage which used as a human food to produce such compounds from the total plant (shoots and roots).