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IntroductionConventional chemotherapy treatment is commonly linked to significant side effects due to high therapeutic doses. In this regard, nanoformulations with chemotherapeutic medications hold promise in enhancing drug effectiveness through the reduction of therapeutic dosages, thereby mitigating the potential for adverse side effects. Because of numerous applications in the biomedical arena, there has been a rising interest in developing an environmentally acceptable, long-lasting, and affordable technique for the production of gold nanoparticles. In this particular context, the incorporation of plant extracts in the production of metallic nanoparticles has garnered the interest of numerous scholars. Here, we report the synthesis of gold particles by the green method using Cannabis sativa L. leaf extract and their conjugation with doxorubicin.MethodsThe gold nanoparticles were synthesized by using Cannabis sativa extract and were characterized with various biophysical techniques. Subsequently, gold nanoparticles were conjugated with doxorubicin and their efficacy was tested on A549 cells.Results and DiscussionThe biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles was ascertained through an absorption peak at a wavelength of 524 nm, and it was shifted to 527 nm when conjugated with doxorubicin. Nanoparticles were found to be stable exhibiting a zeta potential value of −20.1 mV, and it changed to −12.7 mV when loaded with doxorubicin. The hydrodynamic diameter of nanoparticles was determined to be 45.64 nm and it was increased to 58.95 nm when conjugated with the drug. The average size of nanoparticles analyzed by TEM was found to be approximately 17.2 nm, while it was 23.5 nm in the case of drug-nanoconjugate. Moreover, there was a significant amelioration in the antiproliferative potential of doxorubicin against lung cancer A549 cells when delivered with gold nanocarrier, which was evident by the lower IC50 and IC75 values of drug-nanoconjugates in comparison to drug alone. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of drug-nanoconjugates and drug alone was characterized by alteration in the cell morphology, nuclear condensation, increased production of reactive oxygen species, abrogation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhanced caspase activities in A549 cells. In sum, our results suggested enhanced efficacy of doxorubicin-gold nanoconjugates, indicating effective delivery of doxorubicin inside the cell by gold nanoparticles.

Salinity is a major concern globally and causing reduction in crop growth and development thereby lowering food production. Interestingly, cobalt (Co), a multifunctional non-essential micro-element, has an important role in improving growth and development under salinity stress. In the current study, the effects of Co on the morphological, biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic changes of African marigold plants at two salinity levels were assessed. Two concentrations of Co (C1; 10 mg/L and C2; 20 mg/L) were applied as foliar application to the marigold plants under salinity (S1; 300 mM and S2; 600 mM) stress. The results indicated that salinity substantially reduced the growth by negatively affecting the nutritional and metabolic profile. Interestingly, the C1 application mitigated the salinity effects and improved all the studied parameters including vegetative, nutritional, biochemical and metabolites (amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, sugars, carotenoids, flavonoids, and terpenoids) by reducing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG)-induced oxidative stress, at two salinity levels. The overall results revealed that C1was an ideal dose for marigold plants undergoing salinity stress since C2 application showed some toxicity symptoms under both the salinity levels; with reduced growth and impaired development. Based on the observations, the two different oxidative stress scavenging pathways in marigold are discussed i.e. ROS-scavenging by ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and the MG-detoxification by glyoxalase. With the limitations imposed upon the glutathione (GSH) pool size and redox homeostasis, the study indicated that GSH played a critical role in both ROS- and MG-detoxification in marigold plants at both salinity levels.

Abstract Background Enriching the soil with organic matter such as humic and fulvic acid to increase its content available nutrients, improves the chemical properties of the soil and increases plant growth as well as grain yield. In this study, we conducted a field experiment using humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA) and recommended dose (RDP) of phosphorus fertilizer to treat Hordeum vulgare seedling, in which four concentrations from HA, FA and RDP (0.0 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100%) under saline soil conditions . Moreover, some agronomic traits (e.g. grain yield, straw yield, spikes weight, plant height, spike length and spike weight) in barley seedling after treated with different concentrations from HA, FA and RDP were determined. As such the beneficial effects of these combinations to improve plant growth, N, P, and K uptake, grain yield, and its components under salinity stress were assessed. Results The findings showed that the treatments HA + 100% RDP (T1), HA + 75% RDP (T2), FA + 100% RDP (T5), HA + 50% RDP (T3), and FA + 75% RDP (T6), improved number of spikes/plant, 1000-grain weight, grain yield/ha, harvest index, the amount of uptake of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) in straw and grain. The increase for grain yield over the control was 64.69, 56.77, 49.83, 49.17, and 44.22% in the first season, and 64.08, 56.63, 49.19, 48.87, and 43.69% in the second season,. Meanwhile, the increase for grain yield when compared to the recommended dose was 22.30, 16.42, 11.27, 10.78, and 7.11% in the first season, and 22.17, 16.63, 11.08, 10.84, and 6.99% in the second season. Therefore, under salinity conditions the best results were obtained when, in addition to phosphate fertilizer, the soil was treated with humic acid or foliar application the plants with fulvic acid under one of the following treatments: HA + 100% RDP (T1), HA + 75% RDP (T2), FA + 100% RDP (T5), HA + 50% RDP (T3), and FA + 75% RDP (T6). Conclusions The result of the use of organic amendments was an increase in the tolerance of barley plant to salinity stress, which was evident from the improvement in the different traits that occurred after the treatment using treatments that included organic amendments (humic acid or fulvic acid).

Lipids, the primary constituents of the cell membrane, play essential roles in nearly all cellular functions, such as cell-cell recognition, signaling transduction, and energy provision. Lipid metabolism is necessary for the maintenance of life since it regulates the balance between the processes of synthesis and breakdown. Increasing evidence suggests that cancer cells exhibit abnormal lipid metabolism, significantly affecting their malignant characteristics, including self-renewal, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, and drug sensitivity and resistance. Prominent oncogenic signaling pathways that modulate metabolic gene expression and elevate metabolic enzyme activity include phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, MAPK, NF-kB, Wnt, Notch, and Hippo pathway. Conversely, when metabolic processes are not regulated, they can lead to malfunctions in cellular signal transduction pathways. This, in turn, enables uncontrolled cancer cell growth by providing the necessary energy, building blocks, and redox potentials. Therefore, targeting lipid metabolism-associated oncogenic signaling pathways could be an effective therapeutic approach to decrease cancer incidence and promote survival. This review sheds light on the interactions between lipid reprogramming and signaling pathways in cancer. Exploring lipid metabolism as a target could provide a promising approach for creating anticancer treatments by identifying metabolic inhibitors. Additionally, we have also provided an overview of the drugs targeting lipid metabolism in cancer in this review.

AbstractIn recent years, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have received a great deal of attention due to the constantly growing demands in the agricultural sector. In this review, we discuss two major abiotic stresses: drought and salt, which have been extensively researched in terms of their impact on plant growth under CNMs treatments. Drought and salt stress are two of the most important environmental factors that affect plants growth and development. There is still a lot we don’t fully understand about how CNMs accumulates, how plants respond to stress, and how they affect plant growth. Researchers all over the world have worked to uncover more about plants and CNMs interact and what happens when plants are exposed to abiotic stresses. The goal of this review is to give the reader an up-to-date look at how the different CNMs help plants grow when they are stressed by drought or salt. Depending on the recommended dose of CNMs used, different species have different growth and production patterns. Lower CNM concentration levels were observed to boost crop productivity and yield, but greater CNM concentration levels under stress conditions were also observed to reduce these traits. In general, CNMs were proved to be efficient at increasing (water uptake, water transport, seed germination, boosting photosynthetic system and antioxidant activities) and reducing (MDA, H2O2 content) while concentration levels were limited; they were found to be less effective at both of these changes when concentrations were high. Taken together, the current state of studies on how CNMs affect the development of plants is encapsulated, and the most important knowledge gaps are also addressed.

Salt stress is one of the major impairments to agricultural soil that significantly reduces growth and productivity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and other crop plants. The proteomic mechanisms underlying salt stress tolerance in rice have not been well established. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of molecular mechanisms associated with salt signaling, salt-toxicity detoxification, and other metabolic mechanisms is essential for elucidating salt tolerance mechanisms in rice as well as ensuring global food security. Recent proteome studies have provided a global proteomic signature of rice cultivars. Integrative studies of proteomic, physiological, and molecular responses under salt stress have provided detailed mechanisms associated with salt stress tolerance in rice. This review explores the proteomic mechanisms with finely-tuned salt-responsive networks in this cereal. Several proteomic processes, including salt sensing and signaling, scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and stress defense, salt compartmentalization and homeostasis, alterations of cell wall components, modulation of the cytoskeleton, regulation of salt-responsive genes, transcription factors, and protein synthesis, protein folding and processing, protein degradation, and strategies of carbohydrate and energy metabolism for organ development, elucidate extensive molecular mechanisms linked to salt stress responses and tolerance in rice. Further, it is updated the prospects of salt stress tolerance in rice using multi-omics and CRISPR/Cas approaches. These finely-tuned molecular insights will be beneficial to rice breeders and farmers for developing high-yielding, salt-tolerant rice cultivars to achieve global food security.

Nanotechnology is attracting significant attention worldwide due to its applicability across various sectors. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are among the key nanoparticles (NPs) that have gained extensive practical use and can be synthesized through a wide range of physical, chemical, and green approaches. However, TiO2NPs have attracted a significant deal of interest due to the increasing demand for enhancing the endurance to abiotic stresses such as temperature stress. In this article, we discuss the effects of temperature stresses such as low (4 °C) and high temperatures (35 °C) on TiO2NPs. Due to climate change, low and high temperature stress impair plant growth and development. However, there are still many aspects of how plants respond to low and high temperature stress and how they influence plant growth under TiO2NPs treatments which are poorly understood. TiO2NPs can be utilized efficiently for plant growth and development, particularly under temperature stress, however the response varies according to type, size, shape, dose, exposure time, metal species, and other variables. It has been demonstrated that TiO2NPs are effective at enhancing the photosynthetic and antioxidant systems of plants under temperature stress. This analysis also identifies key knowledge gaps and possible future perspectives for the reliable application of TiO2NPs to plants under abiotic stress.

Dia/betes is a serious health concern in many countries with high blood glucose, obesity, and multiple organ failures in late stages. Treating diabetes with effective drugs is still a challenging issue since most of the available diabetic drugs are not effective in combating diabetes, especially in secondary disease complications like obesity, retinopathy, and nephropathy associated with diabetes. Hence search for effective antidiabetic medication, especially from natural sources is mandatory with no adverse side effects. In the present study, a combined herbal aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris and Curcuma amada was administered to diabetic-induced rats for 37 days. During experimentation, the mean blood glucose level was estimated and at the end of the experiment on the 37th day, the animal was sacrificed and observed for weight gain, plasma insulin, glycogen, glycated hemoglobin, urea, and creatinine level. The results revealed that TT and CA extract-treated diabetic groups significantly lowered the mean blood glucose level followed by increased glycogen and insulin level. Urea, creatinine, and HbA1c levels were considerably reduced in TT and CA-treated diabetic animals as compared to that of antidiabetic drug Glibenclamide-treated groups. TT and CA-treated diabetic animals showed considerable net body weight gain at the end of the experimental day. A concluding remark of the study shows that TT and CA herbal extract is effective against diabetes and it can be considered as an antidiabetic agent in ayurvedic medicine practice.

The water-retaining and yield-increasing capacity of super-absorbent polymer (SAP) are essential for soil remediation in arid and semi-arid areas. Water availability is an increasing challenge to plant development and crop yield. During the growing seasons in 2021 and 2022, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the addition of different amounts of SAP on the development and yield of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Bronco) under varying water deficit stresses, compared with the control treatment without SAP and water deficit stress. The results demonstrated that a 50% reduction in water requirement (WR) resulted in significant decreases in leaf fresh weight, specific leaf area, leaf total chlorophyll content, pod number, leaf free water content, pod fresh weight per plant, and yield. Decreases were also found in pod total chlorophyll content, carotenoids, dry matter and total protein, leaf proline content, and crude fiber content. Additionally, leaf water saturation deficit was significantly increased under the stress compared with the full irrigation at 100% WR. However, irrigation at 75% WR increased pod contents of ascorbic acid, total sugars, and leaf bound water. The current study also indicated that addition of SAP significantly enhanced the above-mentioned growth characteristics under irrigation at 50% and 75% WR. Treatment with SAP at 3 g/plant was the most effective in mitigating the adverse effects of water deficiency, especially at the irrigation rate of 75% WR. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed significantly positive correlations between the growth parameters, as well as pod yield, under water stress and SAP. This study provides a promising strategy for green bean cultivation by adding SAP to soil to alleviate water shortage stress.

The two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) Tetranychus urticae, is regarded as one of the most dangerous pests responsible for great losses in most of agricultural crops. It is a persistent pest in Saudi Arabia, especially in greenhouses where T. urticae is primarily controlled by chemical pesticides. The main problem for the two-spotted spider mites is its high resistance to pesticides and high fertility rate. In the long term, chemical pesticides cause health problems and economic losses, so it was necessary to search for a safe alternative method for human health and the environment. One of these alternative methods was the selection of plant varieties resistant to the TSSM, in addition to biological control that includes mites or predatory insects and entomopathogenic fungi. The growth, reproduction, and life-table parameters of T. urticae were examined in a laboratory setting with a 16L:8D photoperiod at 28 ± 1 °C and 65 ± 5% RH, in the presence of three major members of Family: Solanaceae tomato, eggplant, and pepper. Pepper was shown to be less conducive to T. urticae growth and reproduction compared to eggplant and tomato. Tetranychus urticae proceeded through all five stages of its life cycle (egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult) on tested solanaceous plants, and these plants significantly influenced its growth, reproduction, and Life-table parameters. Additionally, entomopathogenic fungi have been used against insects that have proven highly effective in controlling and reducing the density of two-spotted spider mites. Eight fungi were isolated from 80 insect and mite samples collected from several Saudi Arabia regions. Analysis of the 18S rRNA sequences revealed that the fungal strains identified as Beauveria bassiana, Fusarium sp. F. equiseti, F. oxysporium, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis1, S. brevicaulis2, Aspergillus sclerotiorum, and Penicillium citrinum. The ability of isolated fungi to secrete enzymes degrading the two-spotted spider mite cuticle, namely lipase, protease, and chitinase, were studied.

In the current study, we report the synthesis of methotrexate-conjugated zinc oxide nanoparticles (MTX-ZnONPs) and their high efficacy against lung cancer cells. Conjugation of MTX with ZnONPs was authenticated by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This drug-nanoconjugate also showed high drug-loading efficiency. The therapeutic efficacy of MTX-ZnONPs was further tested in vitro against A549 cells, and the results of MTT and LDH release assays showed that MTX-ZnONPs, in addition to free MTX, were efficient in exerting cytotoxic effect on A549 cells; however, the effectiveness of MTX-ZnONPs was found to be considerably enhanced at very low doses compared to that of free MTX. Moreover, ZnONPs alone significantly inhibited the cell viability of A549 cells at a much higher concentration compared to MTX-ZnONPs and MTX. Furthermore, the cytomorphology of A549 cells was characterized by cellular shrinkage and detachment from the surface in all the treatment groups. Similarly, A549 cells, in all the treatment groups, showed fragmented and condensed nuclei, indicating the initiation of apoptosis. Mitochondrial membrane potential (ψm) in A549 cells showed a gradual loss in all the treatment groups. Results of the qualitative and quantitative analyses depicted increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in A549 cells. The results of the caspase activity assay showed that MTX-ZnONPs andfree MTX caused significant activation of caspase-9, -8, and -3 in A549 cells; however, the effect of MTX-ZnONPs was more profound at very low doses compared to that of free MTX. Thus, our results showed high efficacy of MTX-ZnONPs, suggesting efficient intracellular delivery of the drug by ZnONPs as nanocarriers.

Drought stress is the most significant environmental stress factor affecting the growth of crops and farming sector in the present era. This study was carried out mainly in the rose water extracted from the essential oil of Taif rose (Rosa damascena “Trigintipetala”), which was explored for drought stress tolerance from industry. The aim of this study was to investigate how Taif rose water (RW) pretreatment affected cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var. California blackeye NO.46) seedlings under drought stress (65% and 35% of filed capacity). The cowpea seeds are immersed in rose water with 15%, 25% and 35% for a couple of hours before being implanted. Drought stress dramatically reduces morphological traits of root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass and leaf area. However, pretreatment of RW seed dramatically improves cowpea growth conditions, relative water content, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate. However, under drought stress, RW pretreated seedlings showed a decreased levels in malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, total soluble proteins and carbohydrates. However, drought stress increases the quality of antioxidant enzyme activities like superoxide dismutase and catalase in pretreated RW cowpea seedlings. This study concludes that pretreating with RW could increase the drought tolerance in cowpea seedlings by stretching their antioxidant defense mechanisms. In addition, this study holds the potential to play a vital role in ensuring food security in the near future, as it provides valuable insights into improving crop resilience and productivity under drought conditions.

Climate change is considered one of the major contributing factors to soil salinization, leading to land degradation. Several alternative organic waste materials are proposed for agricultural sustainability. Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa cv. Tioga) is one of the most consumed crop plants on a global scale due to its numerous economic and industrial benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand how varying concentrations of diluted salt water (0%, 10%, 40%, 80%, 100%) affected the growth and physiology of Fragaria ananassa cv. Tioga. Our results indicated that shoot fresh weight (SFW), shoot dry weight (SDW), root fresh weight (RFW), root dry weight (RDW), leaf area, fruits weight, fruits per plants, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll a and b significantly decreased in salt-stressed strawberry plants as compared to control plants. Moreover, salinity stress increased the malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), sodium (Na) content, SOD and APX activity. However, the application of dry waster of tea leaves (DWT) and dry waste of rose petals (DWR) led to improvements in chlorophyll content, RWC and potassium (K) content, antioxidant enzymes activity, and fruit yield of strawberry plants. In comparison to DWT, the best outcome was observed in plants treated with DWR, suggesting a new and eco-friendly strategy to increase crop yields under salt stress in commercial production. In conclusion, DWT and DWR treatments helps in the improvement of strawberries grown under salt stress conditions and increases their tolerance to salt stress.

Abstract Application of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) in agricultural production has piqued the interest of researchers. However, despite the enormous importance of CNMs in plant development, little is known about the effects of carbon nanoparticle (CNP) doses on plant physiological responses. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to check the effects of nanostructured carbon derived from oil fly ash (COFA), which was derived for the first time from high-energy ball-milling followed by a sonication process, on Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Cicer arietinum L. plants. We evaluated the plant physiological and biochemical parameters of the COFA-treated seedlings. Two different doses (4 mg L−1 and 8 mg L−1) of COFA and a control were studied. The results indicated that the germination rate (%), shoot length, root length, pod length, leaf area, fresh weight and dry weight were increased with the addition of COFA. Likewise, COFA increased the contents of chlorophyll pigments (Chla, Chlb, carotenoids), proteins, and carbohydrates in both species compared to the control. Finally, these findings showed that a COFA treatment at 4 mg L−1 after ball milled-sonication in water (BMW4) constituted the best dose for growth and physiology. Our findings reveal that the novel strategy of COFA engineering led to a boost in the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris and Cicer arietinum. Our results have high potential for agricultural research and provide an impact on food security.

Salinity is a significant abiotic stress that has a profound effect on growth, the content of secondary products, and the genotoxicity of cells. Lime, Citrus aurantifolia, is a popular plant belonging to the family Rutaceae. The interest in cultivating this plant is due to the importance of its volatile oil, which is included in many pharmaceutical industries, but C. aurantifolia plants are affected by the NaCl salinity levels. In the present study, a comet assay test has been applied to evaluate the genotoxic impact of salinity at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mM of NaCl on C. aurantifolia tissue-cultured plants. Furthermore, terpene gene expression was investigated using a semi-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results from the two analyses revealed that 200 mM of NaCl stress resulted in high levels of severe damage to the C. aurantifolia plants’ DNA tail 21.8%, tail length 6.56 µm, and tail moment 3.19 Unit. The relative highest expression of RtHK and TAT genes was 2.08, and 1.693, respectively, when plants were exposed to 200 mM of NaCl, whereas pv4CL2RT expressed 1.50 in plants subjected to 100 mM of NaCl. The accumulation of transcripts for the RTMYB was 0.951 when plants were treated with NaCl at 50 mM, and RtGPPS gene was significantly decreased to 0.446 during saline exposure at 100 mM. We conclude that the comet assay test offers an appropriate tool to detect DNA damage as well as RtHK, TAT, and pv4CL2RT genes having post-transcriptional regulation in C. aurantifolia plant cells under salinity stress. Future studies are needed to assess the application of gene expression and comet assay technologies using another set of genes that show vulnerability to different stresses on lime and other plants.

Abstract Climate change, food scarcity, salt stress, and a rapidly growing population are just a few of the major global challenges. The current study examined into whether Moringa oleifera (L.) leaf extract and green algae (Ulva intestinalis) could help improve salt tolerance in Mentha species (Mentha piperita; Mentha longifolia). Moringa leaf extract (MLE) and green algae (GA) were applied to Mentha seedlings under three different salt treatments: 0 mM, 20 mM, 40 mM, 60 mM, and 90 mM, respectively. For each treatment, three biological replicates were conducted, with each replicate containing at least three plants. Mentha species were negatively affected by salt stress in terms of shoot length, fresh and dry weight, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activities. However, the use of MLE and GA significantly improved the development and physiology of Mentha species under salt stress conditions. The MLE and GA treatments dramatically (p ≤ 0.001) increased SOD activity by 7% and 10%, CAT activity by 16% and 30%, APX activity by 34% and 56%, GPX activity by 12% and 47%, respectively, in Mentha piperita seedlings, which in turn strikingly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity by 6% and 9%, catalase (CAT) activity by 15%, 28% and 44%, 27%, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity by 39% and 60%, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity by 23% and 58%, respectively, in Mentha longifolia seedlings, relative to the control. Aiming to answer questions about the relationship between plant extraction and traditional agricultural methods, this research greatly advances the goal of sustainable development for improving plant productivity by providing a much safer and more environmentally friendly adaptability.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common diabetes complication (DM). Aldose reductase -2 (ALR-2) is an oxidoreductase enzyme that is most extensively studied therapeutic target for diabetes-related complications that can be inhibited by epalrestat, which has severe adverse effects; hence the discovery of potent natural inhibitors is desired. In response, a pharmacophore model based on the properties of eplarestat was generated. The specified pharmacophore model searched the NuBBEDB database of natural compounds for prospective lead candidates. To assess the drug-likeness and ADMET profile of the compounds, a series of in silico filtering procedures were applied. The compounds were then put through molecular docking and interaction analysis. In comparison to the reference drug, four compounds showed increased binding affinity and demonstrated critical residue interactions with greater stability and specificity. As a result, we have identified four potent inhibitors: ZINC000002895847, ZINC000002566593, ZINC000012447255, and ZINC000065074786, that could be used as pharmacological niches to develop novel ALR-2 inhibitors.

Steel slag waste produced by the steel industry accumulates in open areas or is disposed of in landfills, causing harm to the environment and human health. Valorizing steel slag through comprehensive data analysis is imperative and could add value to the product with respect to energy conversion and storage applications. This study investigated the morphological, structural, and optical characteristics of a thermally annealed steel slag composite generated from iron and steel factories. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and UV–visible spectrophotometry were subsequently used to evaluate the impact of thermal treatment on the morphology, structure, elemental composition, and optical properties. It was found that the pre-treated slag composites contained a variety of irregular grain sizes and microscale fragments, primarily composed of C (18.55%), O (50.85%), and Fe (29.41%), with lower amounts of Mg (0.31%), Si (0.44%), and Ca (0.44%), indicating the natural formation of a disordered iron composite. Thermal treatment at different temperatures (300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C) increased the grain density and clustering, resulting in denser two-dimensional microstructures at 900 °C. Additionally, XRD and Raman analyses of both untreated and thermally treated slag composites revealed the presence of a disordered iron oxide composite, including (Fe3O4), hematite (α-Fe2O3), and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) phases. A significant increase in optical absorbance was also observed after annealing at 600 °C, highlighting the successful optimization of the elemental composition of the slag composite. A band gap energy of approximately 2.2 eV was obtained from this optimization at 600 °C. The optical conductivity of the composite reached 2.1 × 106 S−1 at 600 °C, which indicates an enhancement in charge transfer among the optimized chemical elements in the waste composite. These findings suggest an optimization method for novel composites derived from steel slag waste, indicating its potential as a low-cost material for energy storage systems (batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells) and optoelectronic devices.

Salinity and cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil are serious environmental issues threatening food security. This study investigated the role of salicylic acid (SA) and potassium (K) in enhancing the resilience of quinoa against the combined stress of salinity and Cd. Quinoa plants were grown under NaCl (0, 200 mM) and Cd (0, 100 µM) stress, with the addition of 0.1 mM SA and 10 mM K, separately or in combination. The joint stress of Cd and NaCl caused >50% decrease in plant growth, chlorophyll contents, and stomatal conductance compared to the control plants. The higher accumulation of Na and Cd reduced the uptake of K in quinoa tissues. The joint stress of salinity and Cd caused an 11-fold increase in hydrogen peroxide and 13-fold increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances contents, and caused a 61% decrease in membrane stability. An external supply of 0.1 mM SA and 10 mM K helped plants to better adapt to salinity and Cd stress with less of a reduction in plant biomass (shoot 19% and root 24%) and less accumulation of Na and Cd in plant tissues. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were enhanced by 11-fold, 10-fold, 7.7-fold, and 7-fold, respectively, when SA and K were applied together to the plants subjected to the joint stress of Cd and salinity. Based on the values of the bioconcentration factor (>1), the translocation factor (

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a prominent spice and vegetable crop farmed commercially worldwide. Variability is viewed as a key signal for any red onion enhancement effort. The current study was, therefore, carried out to learn about genetic variability and diversity among selected genotypes of 20 red onions at the C Block Farm, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India, during the winter (rabi) season of 2021–2022, in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The characters, viz., average weight of bulbs (kg), neck thickness (cm), total soluble solids (°Brix), total sugar (%), and reducing sugar (%) demonstrated high heritability (97.38–99.97%) coupled with high genetic gain. Such traits were the least influenced by environmental effects, and additive gene action played a pivotal role in the manifestation of such characters. Traits with high heritability values (51.37–67.94%) demonstrate that the observed variability was under genetic control and provide an enormous range of possibilities for accomplishing selection depending on their phenotypic performances. For traits with moderate heritability, viz., bolting (%) and doubling (%), selection would be less effective but can still be given great importance. Based on correlation analysis, the character’s neck thickness, equatorial diameter, and polar diameter unveiled highly positive genetic correlation with the average weight of bulbs (0.120, 0.112; 0.194, 0.210 and 0.120, 0.112 for phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficient values, respectively), which indicates that the average weight of a bulb would be increased by an increase in such components. According to path coefficient analysis, the equatorial diameter exhibited the most positive direct effect on the average weight of bulbs (0.968), followed by polar diameter (0.687) and neck thickness (0.159). A wide range of variations for qualitative traits, including foliage colour, leaf width, foliage behaviour, the degree of leaf waxiness, the shape of the bulb, and bulb skin colour were observed. Based on Mahalanobish D2 analysis, the genotypes were divided into four clusters. The highest number of genotypes was found in cluster I (eleven), followed by cluster IV (six genotypes) and cluster II (two genotypes). Cluster III had a single genotype and was monogenic. The study confirmed that a wide genetic variation prevailed in the onion genotypes taken under study, which could thereby be utilized in breeding programmes.

Members of the SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) family are plant-specific serine or threonine kinases that play a pivotal role in the response of plants to abiotic stresses. Members of this plant-specific kinase family have included a critical regulator (SnRK2) of abscisic acid (ABA) response in plants. Plant organ development is governed substantially by the interaction of the SnRK2 and the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). Recent research has revealed a synergistic link between SnRK2 and ABA signaling in a plant’s response to stress such as drought and shoot growth. SnRK2 kinases play a dual role in the control of SnRK1 and the development of a plant. The dual role of SnRK2 kinases promotes plant growth under optimal conditions and in the absence of ABA while inhibiting the growth of plants in response to ABA. In this review, we have uncovered the roles of ABA-activated SnRK2 kinases in plants, as well as their physiological mechanisms.

Drought stress is a significant abiotic stressor that has a negative impact on crop production and global food security systems. Drought stress was applied to eggplant seedlings with various field capacities (FC), 80% FC as control, 50% FC, 35% FC, and 20% FC. AgNPs were synthesised from green chemical methods, whereas different concentrations of AgNPs (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 µmol) were applied exogenously on drought-stressed eggplants. Drought stress decreased the growth parameters (plant height, fresh mass, dry mass, leaf area), photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Chl b, carotenoids), and protein content while increased the proline, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and activity of the antioxidant enzymes, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). AgNPs restricted proline accumulation and reduced H2O2, MDA content by upregulating the antioxidant enzymes. Overall, the current study's findings indicated that AgNPs are an effective eco-friendly and low-cost application for plant growth under drought stress, with the potential to mitigate the impact of drought on plants.

The use of pharmaceuticals to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has several drawbacks, including severe side effects. Natural compounds with great efficacy and few side effects are in high demand due to the global rise in MDD and ineffective treatment. Yohimbine, a natural compound, has been used to treat various ailments, including neurological conditions, since ancient times. Serotonergic neurotransmission plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of depression; thus, serotonergic receptor agonist/antagonistic drugs are promising anti-depressants. Yohimbine was investigated in this study to determine its antidepressant activity using molecular docking and pharmacokinetic analyses. Additionally, the in silico mutational study was carried out to understand the increase in therapeutic efficiency using site-directed mutagenesis. Conformational changes and fluctuations occurring during wild type and mutant serotonergic receptor, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors 1A (5HT1A) and yohimbine were assessed by molecular dynamics MD simulation studies. Yohimbine was found to satisfy all the parameters for drug-likeness and pharmacokinetics analysis. It was found to possess a good dock score and hydrogen-bond interactions with wild type 5HT1A structure. Our findings elaborate the substantial efficacy of yohimbine against MDD; however, further bench work studies may be carried out to prove the same.

Colostrum samples of recently registered cow breed “Himachali Pahari” were assorted from high altitude zone (901–2200 m). Prepared bovine colostrum whey powder (BCWP) was analysed for chemical composition, amino acids, minerals, surface morphology (SEM-EDS), FTIR and dielectric properties. Results showed that freeze-dried BCWP contained a considerable amount of nutritional parameters viz IgG (18.55 g/100 g), protein (71.72 g/100 g) and total amino acids (69.64 g/100 g). Additionally, the concentration of essential minerals was found to be adequate, and there was no presence of heavy metals. The BCWP exhibits good dielectric properties (resistance ∼57 M-Ω). SEM-EDS showed the broken up-wards layer structure with the uniform distribution of minerals on the surface. The FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of a higher proportion of β-sheets and β-turn structures in BCWP. Thus, on account of good functional and nutritive properties, BCWP could be foreseen as the future of functional food.

In the original publication [...]

The development of food and forage crops that flourish under saline conditions may be a prospective avenue for mitigating the impacts of climate change, both allowing biomass production under conditions of water-deficit and potentially expanding land-use to hitherto non-arable zones. Here, we examine responses of the native halophytic shrub Atriplex leucoclada to salt and drought stress using a factorial design, with four levels of salinity and four drought intensities under the arid conditions. A. leucoclada plants exhibited morphological and physiological adaptation to salt and water stress which had little effect on survival or growth. Under low salinity stress, water stress decreased the root length of A. leucoclada; in contrast, under highly saline conditions root length increased. Plant tissue total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content decreased with increasing water stress under low salinity. As salt stress increased, detrimental effects of water deficit diminished. We found that both salt and water stress had increased Na+ and Cl– uptake, with both stresses having an additive and beneficial role in increasing ABA and proline content. We conclude that A. leucoclada accumulates high salt concentrations in its cellular vacuoles as a salinity resistance mechanism; this salt accumulation then becomes conducive to mitigation of water stress. Application of these mechanisms to other crops may improve tolerance and producitivity under salt and water stress, potentially improving food security.

Objectives: Natural biopolymer nanoparticles are an emerging area of research in green electronic devices and biomedical and agricultural fields. However, because drought and salt are two keys environmental aspects that affect agricultural crop yields around the world, a new strategy has been suggested to valorize the waste of Taif rose petals (Rosa damascena Miller var. trigintipetala) in the production of polysaccharide material on the nanoscale. In this study, we explore the effects of drought and salinity stress on the physiology of eggplants. Methods: The key objectives of this research were to investigate the effect of polysaccharide crude nanoparticles extract (PCE) in the alleviation of drought and salinity stress in eggplants. Results: Reduced chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and chlorophyll stability index (CSI) were seen in the plants that had been subjected to drought and salt stress. Under drought and salt stress, proline, total soluble protein, and sugar levels were all shown to be higher. However, polysaccharide crude nanoparticles extract reverses the negative effects of drought and salt stress and increases the chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and chlorophyll stability index (CSI) in the presence of drought and salt stress. When PCE was supplemented, the accumulation of lipid peroxidation was reduced, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POX, GR) were raised. Conclusion: In summary, the results suggest that exogenous PCE can mitigate the detrimental effects of drought and salt stress in eggplants by modulating antioxidant systems. Furthermore, the findings of this study give experimental proof that PCE can be used to increase drought tolerance as well as production in eggplant plants.

In context of the climate change, major abiotic stresses faced by plants include salt stress and drought stress. Though, plants have similar physiological mechanisms to cope with these salt and drought stresses. The physiological and biochemical response of native plants to the combined application of salinity and drought stresses are still not well-understood. Thus, to investigate the combined effect of salinity and drought stresses, an experiment was conducted on Salsola imbricata with four levels of salinity and four drought intensities under the arid climatic conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement replicated three times. S. imbricata had been found resistant to different levels of individual and combined salt and drought stresses. S. imbricata survived till the end of the experiment. Salt and water stress did not show any significant effects on shoot weight, shoot length, and root length. The drought stress affected the photosynthetic rate, ion uptake and leaf water potential. However, salt stress helped to counter this effect of drought stress. Thus, drought stress did not affect plant growth, photosynthesis rate, and ion uptake when combined with salt stress. Increased Na+ and Cl− uptake under the salt stress helped in osmotic adjustment. Therefore, the leaf water potential (LWP) decreased with increasing the salt stress from 5 dSm−1 until 15 dSm−1 and increased again at 20 dSm−1. At lower salt stress, ABA and proline content declined with increasing the drought stress. However, at higher salt stress, ABA content increased with increasing the drought stress. In conclusion, the salt stress had been found to have a protective role to drought stress for S. imbricata. S. imbricata utilized inorganic ion for osmotic adjustment at lower salinity stress but also accumulate the organic solutes to balance the osmotic pressure of the ions in the vacuole under combined stress conditions. Due to the physical lush green appearance and less maintenance requirements, S. imbricata can be recommended as a native substitute in landscaping under the salt and drought stresses conditions.

Diabetes is a complicated multifactorial disorder in which the patient generally observes polyphagia, polydipsia, and polyuria due to uncontrolled growth in blood sugar levels. For its management, the pharmaceutical industry is working day and night to find a better drug with no or least toxicity. That’s why nowadays a more focused branch is to use herbal phytoconstituents for its prevention. Shikonin is a naphthoquinone natural dye that is isolated from the plants of the Boraginaceae family and has proven its role as an anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-gonadotrophic agent. In our previous study, we have published its anti-diabetic action by inhibiting the enzyme protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B. In this study, we were more focused on finding out the role of Shikonin and its pharmacophores by inhibiting the action of aldose reductase (AR) enzyme. The study was conducted using pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation studies. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME), and toxicity profile were also evaluated in this study. Along with all the computational biology parameters we also focused on the in vitro activity and kinetic study of inhibitory activity of Shikonin against aldose reductase.

The rice production system is one of the most climate change sensitive agro-ecosystems. This paper reviews the effects of current and future climate change on rice production in China. In recent decades, thermal resources have increased during the rice growing season, while solar radiation resources have decreased, and precipitation heterogeneity has increased. The increasing frequency of high-temperature stress, heavy rainfall, drought, and flood disasters may reduce the utilization efficiency of hydrothermal resources. Climate change, thus far, has resulted in a significant northward shift in the potential planting boundaries of single- and double-cropping rice production systems, which negatively affects the growth duration of single-, early-, and late-cropping rice. Studies based on statistical and process-based crop models show that climate change has affected rice production in China. The effects of climate change on the yield of single rice (SR), early rice (ER), and late rice (LR) were significant; however, the results of different methods and different rice growing areas were different to some extent. The trend of a longer growth period and higher yield of rice reflects the ability of China’s rice production system to adapt to climate change by adjusting planting regionalization and improving varieties and cultivation techniques. The results of the impact assessment under different climate scenarios indicated that the rice growth period would shorten and yield would decrease in the future. This means that climate change will seriously affect China’s rice production and food security. Further research requires a deeper understanding of abiotic stress physiology and its integration into ecophysiological models to reduce the uncertainty of impact assessment and expand the systematicness of impact assessment.

The Geminiviridae family has become the largest family of plant viruses, with >300 species and nine genera. This classification is based on genome organization, host range and insect-vectors. The capsid structure of geminiviruses is unique and constructed from twinned icosahedral with 110 duplicates of coat protein. The function of coat protein in geminiviruses is multidirectional which helps to cause the infection in wide range of host plants. The begomoviruses is one of the leading genera having ∼320 species of family geminiviridae. This review comprehensively describes viral pathogenesis, gene function, host-virus-vector interactions of geminiviruses and their increasing diversity. Several species of begomoviruses and their associated satellites are responsible to cause huge losses. Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCnV) are leading plant viruses to infect many alternate hosts. Modern mechanisms have been identified to disclose the hidden aspects of plant genomics. From these mechanisms, genome editing by “clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats” (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) CRISPR/Cas9 has unfastened the fresh vistas for crop improvement and functional genomics. This review will be helpful for microbiologists and pathologists to understand the complex molecular biology of geminiviruses.

Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench (Family Compositae) is a medicinal herb endowed with several pharmacological activities. Ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant was used for the isolation of lignoceric acid (HS-02), lanost-5- en-3β-ol- 26-oic acid (HS-03), and lanost-5-en-26-oic acid-3β-olyl palmitate (HS-04). All molecules were screened for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities at 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight doses, and the TEST program assessed their toxicity. The molecular interaction profile with numerous anti-inflammatory drug targets was investigated by molecular docking. Compounds HS-03 and HS-04 showed a significant reduction in paw volume compared to the control group challenged with carrageenan in the rats, and prolongation of the paw licking/jumping and reduction in the number of writhes was noted after the injection of acetic acid in mice. In a hot plate test, all compounds showed significant pain inhibition. These findings might aid in the development of anti-inflammatory and anti-analgesic therapies.

Abstract Background Juniperus procera Hoechst. ex Endl. is a medicinal tree in Saudi Arabia, primarily in the Enemas region, but it is locally threatened due to die-back disease and difficulties regarding seed reproduction (seed dormancy and underdeveloped embryonic anatomy, and germination rate

Catharanthus roseus is a medicinal plant that produces indole alkaloids, which are utilized in anticancer therapy. Vinblastine and vincristine, two commercially important antineoplastic alkaloids, are mostly found in the leaves of Catharanthus roseus. ĸ-carrageenan has been proven as plant growth promoting substance for a number of medicinal and agricultural plants. Considering the importance of ĸ-carrageenan as a promoter of plant growth and phytochemical constituents, especially alkaloids production in Catharanthus roseus, an experiment was carried out to explore the effect of ĸ-carrageenan on the plant growth, phytochemicals content, pigments content, and production of antitumor alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus after planting. Foliar application of ĸ-carrageenan (at 0, 400, 600 and 800 ppm) significantly improved the performance of Catharanthus roseus. Phytochemical analysis involved determining the amount of total phenolics (TP), flavonoids (F), free amino acids (FAA), alkaloids (TAC) and pigments contents by spectrophotometer, minerals by ICP, amino acids, phenolic compounds and alkaloids (Vincamine, Catharanthine, Vincracine (Vincristine), and vinblastine) analysis uses HPLC. The results indicated that all examined ĸ-carrageenan treatments led to a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in growth parameters compared to the untreated plants. Phytochemical examination indicates that the spray of ĸ-carrageenan at 800 mg L−1 increased the yield of alkaloids (Vincamine, Catharanthine and Vincracine (Vincristine)) by 41.85 μg/g DW, total phenolic compounds by 3948.6 μg gallic/g FW, the content of flavonoids 951.3 μg quercetin /g FW and carotenoids content 32.97 mg/g FW as compared to the control. An amount of 400 ppm ĸ-carrageenan treatment gave the best contents of FAA, Chl a, Chl b and anthocyanin. The element content of K, Ca, Cu, Zn and Se increased by treatments. Amino acids constituents and phenolics compounds contents were altered by ĸ-carrageenan.

The Wnt signaling pathway is reported to be associated with lung cancer progression, metastasis and drug resistance, and thus it is an important therapeutic target for lung cancer. Plants have been shown as reservoirs of multiple potential anticancer agents. In the present investigation, the ethanolic leaf extract of Artemisia vulgaris (AvL-EtOH) was initially analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify the important phytochemical constituents. The GC–MS analysis of AvL-EtOH exhibited 48 peaks of various secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, coumarins, amino acids, steroids, proteins, phytosterols, and diterpenes. It was found that the treatment with increasing doses of AvL-EtOH suppressed the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, AvL-EtOH induced prominent nuclear alteration along with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation in lung cancer cells. Moreover, AvL-EtOH-treated cells exhibited increased apoptosis, demonstrated by the activation of caspase cascade. AvL-EtOH also induced downregulation of Wnt3 and β-catenin expression along with cell cycle protein cyclin D1. Thus, the results of our study elucidated the potential of bioactive components of Artemisia vulgaris in the therapeutic management of lung cancer cells.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized for the first time from waste leaves extract of local doum palms in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed a spherical shape with a particle size from 18 to 33 nm. The d-spacing is about 2.6 Å, which confirms a face-centered cubic crystalline building. The biosynthesized AgNPs were evaluated as an antimicrobial agent against several pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The highest action was exerted against S. aureus ATCC 29213 (MIC = 1.5 µg/mL). Interestingly, AgNPs also showed anticandidal activity against the pathogenic yeasts Candida albicans ATCC 14053 (MIC = 24 µg/mL) and Candida tropicalis ATCC 13803 (MIC = 96 µg/mL). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed deep morphological changes in Candida spp. due to the treatment of the AgNPs. Scarce pseudohyphae, perforation, exterior roughness, irregularly shaped cells, and production of protective exopolysaccharide (EPS) were the main features. In conclusion, the process of biosynthesis of AgNPs from the aqueous leaf extract of Hyphaene thebaica is environmentally compatible and induces the biosynthesis of tiny AgNPs that could be a promising candidate in biomedical applications, including antimicrobials against some pathogenic bacteria and yeasts.

Geranyl butyrate and citronellyl butyrate esters are industrially important fruity flavors that are being used in food and as a fragrance in cosmetics. Previously terpenyl fruity flavors have been successfully synthesized in organic solvents using crude seedlings enzymes. The purpose of the current study was to standardize reaction parameters for the optimal synthesis of geranyl butyrate using the best chosen black cumin seedling lipase in an organic medium through direct esterification reactions. Geranyl butyrate and citronellyl butyrate esters were identified, quantified through gas chromatography, confirmed through GC-MS, and partiallypurified through the distillation process. Effect of organic solvents (acetonitrile, n-hexane, pentane, heptane, and toluene), alcohol and acid concentrations (0.125–0.3 M), temperature (20–50°C), incubation time (1–72 h), and enzyme concentrations (0.05–0.3 g) were studied on the synthesis of geranyl butyrate using black cumin seedling lipase. The highest conversion yields of ester (96%) were obtained when 0.25 M of geraniol and butyric acid were reacted at 37°C for 48 h in the presence of 0.25 g of crude seedling lipase enzyme in n-hexane. It was concluded that the germinated black cumin seedling lipase proved to be the best among the selected biocatalysts for the synthesis of geranyl butyrate in n-hexane.

Fruit seeds include a large number of bioactive substances with potential applications in the culinary and pharmaceutical industries, satisfying current demands for natural ingredients, which are generally preferred since they have fewer adverse effects than artificial components. Researchers have long been interested in the functional features, as well as the proximate and mineral compositions, of diverse fruit seeds such as tomato, apple, guava, and dates, among others. Bioactive components such as proteins (bioactive peptides), carotenoids (lycopene), polysaccharides (pectin), phytochemicals (flavonoids), and vitamins (-tocopherol) are abundant in fruit by-products and have significant health benefits, making them a viable alternative for the formulation of a wide range of food products with significant functional and nutraceutical potential. This article discusses the role and activities of bioactive chemicals found in tomato, apple, dates, and guava seeds, which can be used in a variety of food forms to cure a variety of cardiovascular and neurological disorders, as well as act as an antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial agent. The extraction of diverse bioactive components from by-products could pave the path for the creation of value-added products from the fruit industry, making it more commercially viable while also reducing environmental pollution caused by by-products from the fruit industry.

In recent years, nanotechnology has been the topic of extensive research and a great deal of interest among researchers. The manufacturing and utilization of nanoparticles (NPs) has expanded dramatically as a result of the rapid development of nanotechnology. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are one of the most important nanoparticles, and they have been widely used for medical and non-medical applications as ideal material because of their unique distinct features: inert, biocompatible, and especially due to low toxicity. It is can be manufacture on a massive scale by reducing the oxidation of gold Au+1(aureus) or Au+3(auric) to Au0 by subjoin a reducing agent through various physical, chemical, and biological methods under different circumstance. Researchers have been motivated by the harmful effects of current synthesis methods to focus on the production of environmentally sustainable and green synthesis using non-toxic chemicals from natural sources, such as plant extract, bacteria, and fungi. The preparation of Gold nanoparticles can be done inwardly or outside by microbes, but outside the cell handling is facile in terms of insulation. Modified nanocellulose is a preferred technique for gold nanoparticle extraction. AuNPs have shown outstanding applications for diagnostic and therapeutic uses, including biosensor applications, tumor-targeting capability (Anticancer Activity) for cancer therapy, and precise drug delivery of nano-vehicles to diseased tissues.

Pesticides have great potential to contaminate resources of drinking water by percolating and leaching, when applied in the agriculture sector as well as in domestic region. Activated carbon (AC) and Biochar (BCH) were used for adsorption in a fixed-bed column system. Both of the adsorbent-packed columns indicated an increase in the breakthrough time for atrazine from 3350 to 5800 min and 3200 to 5700 min, chlorothalanil 3200–5600 min and 3150–5550 min, β-endosulfan 3050–5400 min and 2950–5400 min, and α-endosulfan 2900–5200 min and 2850–5200 min with bed heights from 10 cm to 15 cm, respectively. Similarly, when flow rate increased from 0.5 to 1.5 mL min−1 and contaminant concentration from 50–100 µg L−1, it resulted in a decrease in exhaust time. The models of Yoon–Nelson (R2 = 0.9427) and Thomas (R2 = 0.9921) describe the process of adsorption to be best well-under optimal conditions. Both the adsorbents would be efficiently utilized as the best adsorbents to remediate pesticide-contaminated water under optimal conditions. Pesticides adsorption onto adsorbents followed the order of atrazine > chlorothalanil > β-endosulfan > α-endosulfan.

Global climate change is a significant challenge that will significantly lower crop yield and staple grain quality. The present investigation was conducted to assess the effects of the foliar application of either Si (1.5 mM) or Si nanoparticles (1.66 mM) on the yield and grain quality attributes of two wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.), cv. Shandweel 1 and cv. Gemmeiza 9, planted at normal sowing date and late sowing date (heat stress). Si and Si nanoparticles markedly mitigated the observed decline in yield and reduced the heat stress intensity index value at late sowing dates, and improved yield quality via the decreased level of protein, particularly glutenin, as well as the lowered activity of α-amylase in wheat grains, which is considered a step in improving grain quality. Moreover, Si and nanoSi significantly increased the oil absorption capacity (OAC) of the flour of stressed wheat grains. In addition, both silicon and nanosilicon provoked an increase in cellulose, pectin, total phenols, flavonoid, oxalic acid, total antioxidant power, starch and soluble protein contents, as well as Ca and K levels, in heat-stressed wheat straw, concomitant with a decrease in lignin and phytic acid contents. In conclusion, the pronounced positive effects associated with improving yield quantity and quality were observed in stressed Si-treated wheat compared with Si nanoparticle-treated ones, particularly in cv. Gemmeiza 9.

Plants, being the significant and natural source of medication for humankind against several ailments with characteristic substances hidden on them, have been recognized for many centuries. Accessibility of various methodologies for the revelation of therapeutically characteristic items has opened new avenues to redefine plants as the best reservoirs of new structural types. The role of plant metabolites to hinder the development and movement of pathogenic microbes is cherished. Production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases is an amazing tolerance mechanism that hinders the antibacterial treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria and is a serious problem for the current antimicrobial compounds. The exploration of the invention from sources of plant metabolites gives sustenance against the concern of the development of resistant pathogens. Essential oils are volatile, natural, complex compounds described by a solid odor and are framed by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. The bioactive properties of essential oils are commonly controlled by the characteristic compounds present in them. They have been commonly utilized for bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitic, insecticidal, medicinal, and antioxidant applications. Alkaloids are plant secondary metabolites that have appeared to have strong pharmacological properties. The impact of alkaloids from Callistemon citrinus and Vernonia adoensis leaves on bacterial development and efflux pump activity was assessed on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Plant-derived chemicals may have direct antibacterial activity and/or indirect antibacterial activity as antibiotic resistance modifying agents, increasing the efficiency of antibiotics when used in combination. The thorough screening of plant-derived bioactive chemicals as resistance-modifying agents, including those that can act synergistically with antibiotics, is a viable method to overcome bacterial resistance. The synergistic assessment studies with the plant extract/essential oil and the antibiotic compounds is essential with a target for achieving a redesigned model with sustainable effects which are appreciably noticeable in specific sites of the plants compared to the entirety of their individual parts.

Plant growth regulators can affect the primary and secondary metabolites of various plant species. However, the effect of paclobutrazol (PBZ) on the composition of lavender oil, especially related to the terpenoid pathway, is still unclear in literatures. In this study, the effect of PBZ as a foliar spray (0.200, 400 and 600 ppm) on the vegetative growth, phytochemical content, and both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of lavender oil were investigated. The results indicated that all examined PBZ treatments led to a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in growth parameters compared to the untreated plants. Meanwhile, the yield of essential oil was significantly decreased by the treatment of PBZ at 200 ppm compared to the control. In contrast, applied-PBZ significantly enhanced the chlorophyll content and displayed a marked change in the composition of the essential oil. This change included an obvious and significant increase in 3-carene, eucalyptol, γ–terpinene, α-pinocarvone, caryophyllene, β-vetivenene, β-santalol, ledol, geranyl isovalerate, farnesol, caryophyllene oxide, and phytol percentage. Generally, the highest significant values were achieved by the treatment of 400 ppm compared to the other treatments. Furthermore, this treatment showed the highest free radical scavenging activity against DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) by 13% over the control. Additionally, to determine the antimicrobial activities of the extracted oil, each treatment was examined against two strains of Gram positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. cereus), two strains of Gram negative bacteria (S. enteritidis and E. coli), and two fungal species (C. albicans and A. niger) represent the yeast modal and filamentous fungus, respectively. The findings demonstrated that all examined species were more sensitive to the oil that was extracted from lavender plants, treated with 400 ppm PBZ, compared to the other concentrations.

Drying involves removing moisture from food. Therefore, to preserve the phenolic and bioactive compounds such as curcumin, dimethoxy curcumin and bisdemethoxi curcumin, etc., an efficient drying method is considered necessary. The primary drying methods are sun drying, hot air oven drying and fluidized bed drying. Traditional drying methods result in the loss of volatile oil (up to 25%) by evaporation and destruction of some light-sensitive oil constituents. Three methods of drying Turmeric with pretreatments boiled/unboiled and whole/sliced (2.5 cm long) were compared on physical and quality parameters. Texture analysis from sundry sliced boiled rhizomes achieved maximum peak force (45.40 kg), which was an indication of maximum uniform drying. Moisture content was strongly and significantly associated with drying time in different drying methods. Out of the three drying methods, in general, the sun drying showed a declining trend of L*, a* and b* values with drying time. Whereas a slower rate of decrease in L*, a* and b* values was predominant in the oven dry method. Interestingly, in the case of the fluidized method, almost static L*, a* and b* values were measured at 3 h of drying onwards after a declining trend of those values. In the case of sun and oven drying, the hue angle reached its peak at the fourth hour of drying, then gradually declined up to final drying. However, for fluidized bed drying, it had a continuous declining trend for other parameters such as chroma and total color change; there was a sharp decreasing trend for all throughout. Turmeric whole boiled dried in the sun produced the maximum curcumin (5.82%) and the sliced boiled ones produced the maximum oleoresin (8.10%), indicating good quality powdered product among all other drying treatments. Considering all the aspects, it is recommended that sun drying should be followed in post-harvest operations, as it produces a quality powder with comparatively more curcumin, despite its longer drying time.

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is one of the most essential medicinal plants primarily found in the rainforest area and forest ecosystem, but is now well-adapted in an organized cultivation system. Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is well-known as Drumstick tree, Moringa kai, color, Marengo, Moringe, mulangay, Sahjan, and Sajna, which are its native names commonly used. It has nourishing, beneficial, and preventive effects when taken as food and has an extensive scope of high restorative properties with huge dietary benefits. Different parts of the M. oleifera plants, such as leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and roots, contain a significant amount of protein, ß-carotene, amino acids, important minerals, and various phenolic compounds. Because of its multifarious health benefits for its therapeutic value, it is considered an essential plant. The plant is found to be blessed with several medicinal characteristics such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antipyretic, antiepileptic, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, cholesterol-level down, cell reinforcement, and hepatoprotective. Moreover, it is used traditionally in the local curative system against cardiac problems, and the antifungal properties are efficiently utilized for the treatment of a wide range of ailments. The present review article was designed to explore the nutritional and economic benefits, medicinal and therapeutic applications, and the future biomedical prospects of Moringa with a view towards human wellbeing.

Heat stress and abscisic acid (ABA) induce leaf senescence, whereas melatonin (MT) and gibberellins (GA) play critical roles in inhibiting leaf senescence. Recent research findings confirm that plant tolerance to diverse stresses is closely associated with foliage lifespan. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the signaling interaction of MT with GA and ABA regarding heat-induced leaf senescence largely remains undetermined. Herein, we investigated putative functions of melatonin in suppressing heat-induced leaf senescence in tomato and how ABA and GA coordinate with each other in the presence of MT. Tomato seedlings were pretreated with 100 μM MT or water and exposed to high temperature (38/28°C) for 5 days (d). Heat stress significantly accelerated senescence, damage to the photosystem and upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generating RBOH gene expression. Melatonin treatment markedly attenuated heat-induced leaf senescence, as reflected by reduced leaf yellowing, an increased Fv/Fm ratio, and reduced ROS production. The Rbohs gene, chlorophyll catabolic genes, and senescence-associated gene expression levels were significantly suppressed by MT addition. Exogenous application of MT elevated the endogenous MT and GA contents but reduced the ABA content in high-temperature-exposed plants. However, the GA and ABA contents were inhibited by paclobutrazol (PCB, a GA biosynthesis inhibitor) and sodium tungstate (ST, an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor) treatment. MT-induced heat tolerance was compromised in both inhibitor-treated plants. The transcript abundance of ABA biosynthesis and signaling genes was repressed; however, the biosynthesis genes MT and GA were upregulated in MT-treated plants. Moreover, GA signaling suppressor and catabolic gene expression was inhibited, while ABA catabolic gene expression was upregulated by MT application. Taken together, MT-mediated suppression of heat-induced leaf senescence has collaborated with the activation of MT and GA biosynthesis and inhibition of ABA biosynthesis pathways in tomato.

The foremost concern in forensic entomology is the explicit identification of the species recovered from the crime scene. From the different orders of insects, Diptera is the prime focus in this field, followed by Coleoptera, whose identification can be extremely helpful for corpses in later decomposition stages. In this study, cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) was used to check its adequacy as a genetic marker and to create a reference database for eleven species belonging to five families of Coleoptera, namely, Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Dermestidae and Scarabaeidae, from two different states in India to assist in the accurate identification of imperative beetle species in medico-legal entomology. To achieve this, standard protocols of DNA isolation, amplification and sequencing were followed. We concluded that the COII gene can be used as a molecular marker for the identification of forensically relevant species, as observed from the similarities between the phylogenetic relationship constructed by COII and morphological data.

This study reports the therapeutic effectiveness of doxorubicin-conjugated zinc oxide nanoparticles against lung cancer cell line. The zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were first synthesised using a fungus, isolated from air with an extraordinary capability to survive in very high concentrations of zinc salt. Molecular analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequencing led to its identification as Aspergillus niger with the NCBI accession no. OL636020. The fungus was found to produce ZnONPs via the reduction of zinc ions from zinc sulphate. The ZnONPs were characterised by various biophysical techniques. ZnONPs were further bioconjugated with the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), which was further confirmed by different physical techniques. Furthermore, we examined the cytotoxic efficacy of Doxorubicin-bioconjugated-ZnONPs (DOX-ZnONPs) against lung cancer A549 cells in comparison to ZnONPs and DOX alone. The cytotoxicity caused due to ZnONPs, DOX and DOX-ZnONPs in lung cancer A549 cells was assessed by MTT assay. DOX-ZnONPs strongly inhibited the proliferation of A549 with IC50 value of 0.34 μg/mL, which is lower than IC50 of DOX alone (0.56 μg/mL). Moreover, DOX-ZnONPs treated cells also showed increased nuclear condensation, enhanced ROS generation in cytosol and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. To investigate the induction of apoptosis, caspase-3 activity was measured in all the treated groups. Conclusively, results of our study have established that DOX-ZnONPs have strong therapeutic efficacy to inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells in comparison to DOX alone. Our study also offers substantial evidence for the biogenically synthesised zinc oxide nanoparticle as a promising candidate for a drug delivery system.

Crops around the world are facing a diversity of environmental problems, of which high temperatures are proving to be the most serious threat to crops. Polyamine putrescine (Put) acts as a master growth regulator that contributes to optimal plant growth and development and increased stress tolerance. Here, the current study aimed to elucidate how Put functions in regulating chlorophyll (Chl) metabolism, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense, as well as to characterize the expression of genes related to heat stress in tomato seedlings under such stress. The results revealed that Put treatment significantly attenuates heat-induced damage by promoting biomass production, increasing photosynthetic efficiency, and inhibiting excessive production of oxidative stress markers. Heat stress markedly decreased the Chl content in the tomato leaf and accelerated the leaf yellowing process. However, Put-treated tomato seedlings showed a higher Chl content, which could be associated with the functions of Put in elevating PBGD activity (Chl biosynthesis enzyme) and suppressing the activity of the Chl catabolic enzyme (Chlase and MDCase). Under high-temperature stress, the expression levels of the gene encoding factors involved in Chl biosynthesis and Chl catabolism were significantly down- and upregulated, respectively, and this trend was reversed in Put-treated heat-stressed seedlings. In addition, exogenous application of Put boosted the activity of antioxidant enzymes, along with the levels of expression of their encoding genes, only in plants that were heat stressed. Furthermore, the expression levels of heat-shock-related genes (HSP90, HSP70, and HsfA1) were elevated in Put-treated, high-temperature-stressed tomato seedlings. Taken together, our results indicate that Put treatment significantly increases the heat tolerance of tomato seedlings, by elevating Chl concentrations and suppressing Chl catabolic enzyme activity, modulating endogenous free PA content, increasing antioxidant defense efficiency, and upregulating the expression of heat-shock-related genes.