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Tuberculosis (TB) is a recurrent and progressive disease, with high mortality rates worldwide. The drug-resistance phenomenon of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major obstruction of allelopathy treatment. An adverse side effect of allelopathic treatment is that it causes serious health complications. The search for suitable alternatives of conventional regimens is needed, i.e., by considering medicinal plant secondary metabolites to explore anti-TB drugs, targeting the action site of M. tuberculosis. Nowadays, plant-derived secondary metabolites are widely known for their beneficial uses, i.e., as antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, and in the treatment of a wide range of chronic human diseases (e.g., tuberculosis), and are known to thwart disease virulence. In this regard, in silico studies can reveal the inhibitory potential of plant-derived secondary metabolites against Mycobacterium at the very early stage of infection. Computational approaches based on different algorithms could play a significant role in screening plant metabolites against disease virulence of tuberculosis for drug designing.

Tropical soils are often deeply weathered and vulnerable to degradation having low pH and unfavorable Al/Fe levels, which can constrain crop production. This study aims to examine nitrogen-enriched novel biochar co-composts prepared from rice straw, maize stover, and gram residue in various mixing ratios of the biochar and their feedstock materials for the amelioration of acidic tropical soil. Three pristine biochar and six co-composts were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for improving the chemical and biological quality of the soil against a conventional lime treatment. The pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), calcium carbonate equivalence (CCE) and nitrogen content of co-composts varied between 7.78–8.86, 25.3–30.5 cmol (p+) kg−1, 25.5–30.5%, and 0.81–1.05%, respectively. The co-compost prepared from gram residue biochar mixed with maize stover at a 1:7 dry-weight ratio showed the highest rise in soil pH and CEC, giving an identical performance with the lime treatment and significantly better effect (p <.05) than the unamended control. Agglomerates of calcite and dolomite in biochar co-composts, and surface functional groups contributed to pH neutralization and increased CEC of the amended soil. The co-composts also significantly (p <.05) increased the dehydrogenase (1.87 µg TPF g−1 soil h−1), β-glucosidase (90 µg PNP g−1 soil h−1), and leucine amino peptidase (3.22 µmol MUC g−1 soil h−1) enzyme activities in the soil, thereby improving the soil's biological quality. The results of this study are encouraging for small-scale farmers in tropical developing countries to sustainably reutilize crop residues via biochar-based co-composting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The considerable loss of crop productivity each year due to plant disease or pathogen invasion during pre- or post-harvest storage conditions is one of the most severe challenges to achieving the goals of food security for the rising global population. Although chemical pesticides severally affect the food quality and health of consumers, a large population relies on them for plant disease management. But currently, endophytes have been considered one of the most suitable biocontrol agents due to better colonization and acclimatization potential. However, a very limited number of endophytes have been used commercially as biocontrol agents. Isolation of endophytes and their screening to represent potential characteristics as biocontrol agents are considered challenging by different procedures. Through a web search using the keywords "endophytes as biocontrol agents" or "biocontrol mechanism of endophytes," we have succinctly summarised the isolation strategies and different in vitro and in vivo biocontrol screening methods of endophytic biocontrol agents in the present review. In this paper, biocontrol mechanisms of endophytes and their potential application in plant disease management have also been discussed. Furthermore, the registration and regulatory mechanism of the endophytic biocontrol agents are also covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Search of new microorganism for enzyme production are increasing around the world. Actinomycetes constitute a potential source of biotechnologically interesting substances, which make it one of the most investigated group. Due to formation of stable mycelia, streptomycetes have ability to secrete an array of different extracellular enzymes including cellulose, amylase, pectinase and chitinase. The purpose of this experiment was qualitative and quantitative study of extracellular enzyme production by endophytic actinomycetes from Syzygium cumini. Out of all screened actinomycetes isolates, two streptomycetes isolates were selected for further cellulose and pectinase production and quantification. Production of cellulase, amylase and pectinase by SA 1 and SA 2 isolates and production of chitinase by SA 3 respectively was observed after incubation of 24 hour. Isolates were inoculated in minimal salt solution amended with 1 % (w/v) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for cellulose production, for amylase production Starch Hydrolysis Media, 1 % (w/v) pectin for pectinase production and Basal salt medium for chitinase production. Enzyme activity was assayed as the amount of glucose released in µM/ml/min using dinitrosalicylic acid assay method. The crude cellulose enzyme had maximum activity (0.049 µM/ml/min) after 264 hour of incubation at 35o C while crude pectinase had maximum activity (0.091 µM/ml/min) after 72 hour of incubation at 35o C, whereas crude amylase had maximum activity (0.131 µM/ml/min) after 96 hour of incubation at 35o C, whereas isolate SA 3 shows maximum activity of chitinase (0.042 µM/ml/min) after 120 hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]