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Onion (Allium cepa L.) is the most widely cultivated species of the Allium genus. Onion is rich in many vital nutrients and sulfur (S)-containing several compounds important for human health. Recently, Allium species requirements have gained special attention in this special time due to its export importance. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of the recommended dose of potassium (100% KRD) against three lower levels of potassium mixed with Bacillus circulans, potassium solubilizing bacteria (80% KRD+biofertilizer, 60% KRD+biofertilizer or 40% KRD+ biofertilizer, as well as foliar applications of copper (Cu), boron (B) or putrescine (Put) that have great impacts on yield, quality and onion attributes.The highest level of potassium (100% KRD) resulted in the highest growth parameters and the richest leaves content in N, P, K, S, B, Cu, and carbohydrates, yield, as well as the best quality parameters of bulbs. All growth and yield parameters decreased gradually with reducing the levels of K fertilization. Foliar spraying of Cu, B, and Put combined with all different levels of K fertilizer improved all plant parameters. The highest impact on plant growth was due to Put followed by B at all levels of soil fertilization. Plants that were exogenously sprayed with Put and B exhibited an increase in N, P, K, B, and carbohydrates under different levels of fertilizers, while foliar application with Cu highly increased S and Cu in onion leaves with all levels of K fertilization. The combined treatment of B and all different levels of K fertilizer considerably improved all yield measurements, except with allyl propyl disulfide, which estimated a highly significant increase with Put foliar application coupled with 40% KRD+Bio. In a nutshell, exogenous Put, B, and Cu foliar applications on onion plants increased bulb yield and its quality attributes with the recommended level of potassium or lower recommended levels of K mixed with biofertilizer.

Many embryogenic systems have been designed to generate somatic embryos (SEs) with the morphology, biochemistry, and vigor uniformity of zygotic embryos (ZEs). During the current investigation, several antioxidants were added to the maturation media of the developing somatic embryos of date palm. Explant material was a friable embryogenic callus that was placed in maturation media containing ABA at 0.5 mg L−1, 5 g L−1 polyethylene glycol, and 10 g L−1 phytagel. Furthermore, α-tocopherol or reduced glutathione (GSH) were used separately at (25 and 50 mg L−1). These treatments were compared to a widely used date palm combination of reduced ascorbic acid (ASC) and citric acid at 150 and 100 mg L−1, respectively, and to the medium free from any antioxidants. The relative growth percentage of embryogenic callus (EC), globularization degree, differentiation%, and SEs number were significantly increased with GSH (50 mg L−1). Additionally, the latter treatment significantly enhanced the conversion% of SEs and the number of secondary somatic embryos (SSEs). ASC and citric acid treatment increased leaf length, while α-tochopherol (50 mg L−1) elevated the number of leaves plantlet−1. GSH at 50 mg L−1 catalyzed the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) in EC and enhanced the accumulation of proteins in SEs.

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.

The in vitro and in vivo efficacy of three biocontrol agents, Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescence, and Bacillus subtilis, were tested against Rhizoctonia solani (AG-4) infection compared to two conventional fungicides (Rizolex-T 50%wettable powder and Amistar 25%). Antifungal enzyme activity was assayed in the culture filtrate of the biocontrol agents. The impact of the tested biocontrol agents on the induction of the coriander immune system was investigated against R. solani by assessing the resistance-related enzymes and compounds in biocontrol agent-treated plants compared with the control. The obtained results revealed that all tested biocontrol agents significantly reduced the linear growth of R. solani, and T. viride recorded the highest inhibition percentage. This could be linked to the ability of T. viride to produce higher activities of antimicrobial enzymes, i.e., cellulase, chitinase, and protease, compared to P. fluorescence and B. subtilis. Applying the tested biocontrol agents significantly alleviated pre- and post-emergence damping-off and root rot/wilt diseases of infected coriander compared with untreated plants. The tested biocontrol agents exhibited significantly higher germination percentage and vigor index of the coriander than the tested fungicides. The tested biocontrol agents significantly minimized the reduction of photosynthetic pigments induced by R. solani. In addition, the results showed a significant increase in enzymes/molecules (i.e., phenylalanine, catalase, peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, phenolics, ascorbic acids, and salicylic acid) involved directly and indirectly in coriander resistance to R. solani. The principal component analysis of the recorded data recommended the role of the high accumulation of oxidative parameters (hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation) and the inhibition of phenolic compounds in the downregulation of coriander resistance against R. solani. The heatmap analysis results revealed that biocontrol agents, especially Trichoderma, enhanced the resistance against R. solani via the stimulation of salicylic acid, phenolics, and antioxidant enzymes. Overall, the data recommended the efficacy of biocontrol agents, especially T. viride, against R. solani infecting coriander plants, which could be an efficient and a safer alternative to conventional fungicides.

The survival and growth of in vitro plantlets are still problematic for the date palm; thus, the application of nanotechnology may provide date palm plantlets that develop faster with enhanced growth and biochemical parameters. Moreover, the usage of Fe-modified activated carbon (Fe-AC) prepared from date palm pits instead of activated charcoal (AC) in tissue culture media during the current investigation can be considered an innovative approach. Furthermore, the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and bulk particles (ZnO-BPs) on the rooting and growth of date palm plantlets and on some physiological indices was also investigated. X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize Fe-AC and ZnO-NPs. As detected from the characterization, the particle size was 720 nm for Fe-AC and 60 nm for ZnO-NPs. The obtained results indicated that AC significantly enhanced plantlet growth, plantlet height, number of leaves/plantlet, root length, number of roots/plantlet, and the concentrations of IAA, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b compared with Fe-AC. On the other hand, sugars and phenols concentrations, and POD and PAL activities were highly increased with Fe-AC. There was no significant difference in terms of plant fresh weight (FW), leaf length, leaf width, protein, amino acids, and carotenoids. ZnO nanoparticles significantly improved plant height, leaf length, leaf width, root length, and the concentrations of IAA, chlorophylls a and b, and carotenoids; in contrast, the bulk form increased roots/plantlet, amino acids, and total sugars. Supplying the MS medium with combinations of ZnO-NPs or ZnO-BPs and AC or Fe-AC significantly increased all growth and physiological parameters. Plant height, leaf length, leaf width, root length, and the concentrations of IAA, protein, and chlorophylls a and b significantly increased when ZnO-NPs were combined with AC. Amino acids, total sugars, carotenoids, and phenols concentrations and the activities of POD and PAL increased when ZnO-BPs and Fe-AC were added together.

The effect of benzyl adenine (BA) at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mg l-1 on micropropagation of banana shoot tips was studied. This study also included the morphological responses of banana shoot tips especially with 0 & 6 mg l-1 of BA treatments in relation to some biochemical compositions (total soluble phenols, free amino acids, total soluble sugars, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids). Growth in 6 mg l-1 of BA resulted in increase in the most morphological parameters compared to the rest treatments. The results showed that 6 mg l-1 of BA treatment significantly increased fresh and dry weights, number of shootlets, shootlet and root length and number of leaves and roots/plantlet as compared without BA. Accumulation of total soluble sugars, free amino acids and chlorophylls was enhanced by 6 mg l-1 of BA while the reverse was true with the rest biochemical compositions (total soluble phenols and carotenoids). The biochemical status and BA treatment at 6 mg l-1 during micropropagation of shoot tips in banana may be important for the development and optimization of strategies for large scale propagation and germplasm conservation.

Flaviviruses (FVs) are arthropod-borne viruses of medical and veterinary importance. Numerous species of FVs have been isolated from various host; mainly humans, animals, ticks, and mosquitoes. Certain FVs are extremely host-specific; at the same time, some FVs can infect an extensive range of species. Based on published literatures, 11 species of FVs have been detected from diverse host species in Malaysia. In humans, dengue virus and Japanese encephalitis virus have been reported since 1901 and 1942. In animals, the Batu Cave virus, Sitiawan virus, Carey Island, Tembusu virus, Duck Tembusu virus, and Japanese encephalitis viruses were isolated from various species. In mosquitoes, Japanese encephalitis virus and Kunjin virus were isolated from Culex spp., while Zika virus and Jugra virus were isolated from Aedes spp. In ticks, the Langat virus was isolated from Ixodes spp. One of the major challenges in the diagnosis of FVs is the presence of sero-complexes as a result of cross-reactivity with one or more FV species. Subsequently, the distribution of specific FVs among humans and animals in a specific population is problematic to assess and often require comprehensive and thorough analyses. Molecular assays such as quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and digital droplet RT-PCR (ddRT-PCR) have been used for the differentiation of flavivirus infections to increase the accuracy of epidemiological data for disease surveillance, monitoring, and control. In situations where sero-complexes are common in FVs, even sensitive assays such as qRT-pCR can produce false positive results. In this write up, an overview of the various FV sero-complexes reported in Malaysia to date and the challenges faced in diagnosis of FV infections are presented.

The study of morpho-anatomical aspects, metabolic changes of proteins, antioxidant substances, as well as phenolic compounds in embryogenic callus (EC) and degenerative embryogenic callus (DEC) was the aim of the present investigation. Ability to form somatic embryos (SEs) was associated with the softness of the EC, which exhibited a white or creamy color and was composed of isodiametric cells containing dense cytoplasm, conspicuous nuclei and minimal vacuoles with observed mitotic activity. Furthermore, protein, reduced glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (ASC) concentrations and the ratio between ASC and dehydroascorborbic acid (DHA) were increased significantly in the EC in comparison to the DEC. In addition, the phenolic extract of the EC was proved to have higher scavenging activity than the extract from the DEC. A loss of embryogenic competence in the DEC was correlated with the presence of more rigid clumps and such calli had a yellowish to brown color and no cell division could be observed in the cells of such aggregates as the cells had large vacuoles and they have very thick walls. Moreover, these morphological and anatomical observations of the DEC were accompanied by accumulations of the oxidized form of ascorbic acid (DHA), H2O2, total soluble phenolic compounds and overaccumulation of naringenin. Alternations in cellular metabolism can affect and regulate the morphogenesis of somatic embryos.

In the greenhouse experiment, wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Giza 168) were treated with 10 mM of maltose and trehalose as foliar spray using Tween 20 as wetting agent at 15, 30 and 45 days post sowing with two times of irrigation at 10 and 20 days intervals. Two samples were taken after 45 and 120 days from planting. At the first sample date, plant height, shoot fresh and dry weights and leaf area were recorded. At harvesting time (the second sample) no. of spikes/plant, no. of spikelets/plant and weight of 1000 grains were taken. Chemical analyses were conducted in leaves at the first sample date for determination of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, amino acids, reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, protein, proline, PAL, POD, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, PPO and MDA. The obtained results indicated that maltose and trehalose had significant and positive effect on most growth parameters. Opposite trend was found in plant height, no. of spike/plant and weight of 1000 grains by drought treatment. Maltose and trehalose treatments enhanced in the most biochemical components whereas they decreased PAL and catalase activity. Variable trends in amino acids and ascorbate peroxidase were observed by drought. However, the drought has more stimulative effect in most cases than the first time period of irrigation. The results concluded that foliar applications with maltose or trehalose induced water stress tolerance in wheat plants. Maltose treatment gave the best results in most morphological parameters, grains yield and biochemical components than trehalose treatment.