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The current work aims to screen out the phytochemical screening of extract of ethanol extracted from dried leaves of Leucaena leucocephala. Specifically, the soxhlet extraction process was used, along with phytochemical analysis, separations, and the isolation of biologically active compounds using Thin Layer Chromatography, column chromatography and HPTLC, respectively. The isolated biologically active compound was then characterized using a variety of spectral analysis namely Infra-Red (IR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹HNMR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13CNMR), and mass spectroscopy and phenols are found in the plant's ethanolic leaf extract. Spectroscopic methods were used to characterize the single isolated compound, and the findings presented that the structure of isolated compound LLQ was quercetin. Nootropic action was demonstrated by the secondary metabolites present in the ethanolic extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biomass production from Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (family Fabaceae) is a valuable source for chemical biorefinery. The bioactive molecules from the methanol extracts (MEs) from various parts of L. leucocephala grown in Egypt were evaluated. The antibacterial activity against the growth of Erwinia amylovora, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Staphylococcus aureus was determined by the inhibition zones (IZs) and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The antifungal activity against the growth of Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani, and Alternaria solani was recorded by measuring the fungal growth inhibition (FGI %) and MICs. The phytochemical compounds in the MEs were identified by HPLC–DAD, where the higher compounds identified (mg/kg ME) in seeds were benzoic acid (1520.44), myricetin (848.73), and rosmarinic acid (792.46); in roots, were benzoic acid (554.04), naringenin (419.99), and myricetin (205.51); in leaves were rosmarinic acid (4768.16), resveratrol (2983.99), quercetin (2052.43), myricetin (1432.63), and naringenin (1182.39); in branches, were rosmarinic acid (2230.26), resveratrol (1605.3), o-coumaric acid (691.16), and myricetin (681.93); in fruits were rosmarinic acid (431.43) and resveratrol (261.07); in stem-wood, were ellagic acid (1319.75), p-coumaric acid (1051.59), and ferulic acid (512.45); and in stem-bark, were resveratrol (1079.01), benzoic acid (1071.11), and catechol (305.51). The MEs at the concentration of 4000 mg/L from stem-wood, leaves, and stem-bark, the higher IZs against the growth of E. amylovora, A. tumefaciens, and S. aureus with values of 4.06 cm, 2.5 cm, and 2.63 cm, respectively, were found. The range of MICs values of MEs was 75–500 mg/L, 75–125 mg/L, and 75–125 mg/L, against the growth of A. tumefaciens, E. amylovora, and S. aureus, respectively. MEs prepared from seeds, fruits (pod), and stem-bark at 4000 mg/L showed the higher FGI (100%) against the growth of A. solani; MEs from seeds and branches observed the higher FGI values of 63.83% and 63.6%, respectively, against the growth of F. solani, and all MEs showed potent antifungal activity (FGI 100%) against R. solani except for leaf ME (88.06%). MICs were in the range of 250–500, 250–500, and 500–1000 mg/L against A. solani, F. solani, and R. solani, respectively. At 500 mg/L, the roots ME showed the highest total antioxidant activity (94.30%) compared to vitamin C (VC) (98.30%) at 100 mg/L. The EC50 values of the MEs from seeds, fruits, stem-bark, branches, stem-wood, leaves, and roots were 424.24 mg/L, 131.40 mg/L, 341.78 mg/L, 380.50 mg/L, 153.59 mg/L, 153.59 mg/L, and 129.89 mg/L compared with VC (6.88 mg/L). In conclusion, the botanical parts of L. leucocephala have several bioactive compounds, which can act as promising antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: 1. This study found that Leucaena leucocephala leaf ethanol extract has the ability to stimulate the growth of vaginal epithelial cells in ovariectomised rats. 2. Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract can be developed as a safe and cost-effective natural alternative for hormone replacement therapy in premenopausal women and livestock. Highlights: 1. This study found that Leucaena leucocephala leaf ethanol extract has the ability to stimulate the growth of vaginal epithelial cells in ovariectomised rats. 2. Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract can be developed as a safe and cost-effective natural alternative for hormone replacement therapy in premenopausal women and livestock. Abstract Hormone replacement therapy has adverse effects that may cause additional health problems, such as hot flashes, cancer, ischemic stroke, and death. Phytoestrogen is an alternative ingredient used for hormone replacement therapy with less risk. The Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit plant is widely used as a medicinal ingredient and animal feed. This study aimed to determine the effect of Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract on the uterine weight and estrous cycle of ovariectomized rats. This research used a completely randomized control design, which included two treatment groups (P1 and P2) and two control groups (negative (K-) and positive (K+)) with six replications in each group (n=24). The negative control (K-) was given 2 mL of corn oil, while K+ received 0.1 mg/kg bw of 17β-estradiol. P1 and P2 were administered 250 and 300 mg/kg bw of Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract, respectively. The extract was administered daily by gavage for 30 days. Estrous cycle data were obtained on day 31 by previously collecting vaginal swabs twice a day for 15 days. After the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia using chloroform, they underwent surgery to remove the uterine organs for weight measurement. The data were analyzed for normality and homogeneity using the Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests. The data distribution were not normal, so the Kruskal Wallis test was used to test the hypothesis. If there was a difference between controls and treatments, the analysis continued with the Mann-Whitney test (p

. Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.)De.Wit is cultivated in Iraq as an ornamental plant .In this paper anatomical characters of different parts of Leucaena leucocephala were studied in details ,the study included the characteristics of the epidermal cells ,as the anticlinal walls and the distribution of stomatal complexes of the leaflet ,stem, calyx and corolla .The ornamentation of cuticle as well as the internal structure of the stem ,pulvinus ,petiole ,leaflet and fruit were described , different types of crystals distribution in different parts of the plant also present .It was found that most characters have a good taxonomic value as a diagnostic characters for this species.

Leucaena leucocephala, an invasive toxic tree species, has threatened the survival of native plants in the Hengchun Peninsula, southern Taiwan. Due to the small-to-medium diameter, the utilization and processing of L. leucocephala is highly restricted, while its discarding accelerates carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere. Biochar, produced from the pyrolysis of biomass under an inert atmosphere, is considered an effective carbon sequestration technique with high stability, which is important for long-term carbon storage and soil improvement. L. leucocephala biomass and montmorillonite were co-pyrolyzed under inert conditions, aiming to investigate the effects of different pyrolysis temperatures and montmorillonite blending ratios on biochar yield and carbon retention. Results showed improved biochar yield and carbon retention with increasing montmorillonite addition. Thermogravimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated enhanced stability of the modified biochars. The production of modified L. leucocephala biochar represents a promising technique for carbon dioxide sequestration and biochar stabilization, enabling the development of L. leucocephala utilization approaches.

Synthetic dyes are persistent organic environmental pollutants that can cause extensive damage to living beings and to the ecosystem as a whole. Cost-effective, sustainable, and efficient strategies to deal with this type of pollution are necessary as it commonly resists conventional water treatment methods. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using the aqueous extract from the leaves, stem, and fruits of Leucaena leucocephala (Leucena) were produced and characterized through UV–vis, TEM, EDS, SDL, XPS, XRD, and zeta potential, and they proved to be able to promote adsorption to remediate methylene blue and tartrazine pollution in water. The nanoremediation was performed and did not require direct exposure to sunlight or any special lamp or a specific reduction agent. The AgNPs produced using the extract from the leaves exhibited the best performance in nanoremediation and also presented antioxidant activity that surpassed the one from butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Consequently, it is an interesting nanotool to use in dye nanoremediation and/or as an antioxidant nanostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin extraction from bark can maximize the utilization of biomass waste, offer cost-effectiveness, and promote environmental friendliness when employed as an adhesive material in bark particleboard production. Particles of fine (0.2 to 1.0 mm), medium (1.0 to 2.5 mm), and coarse (2.5 to 12.0 mm) sizes, derived from the bark of Leucaena leucocephala, were hot-pressed using a heating plate at 175°C for 7 min to create single-layer particleboards measuring 320 mm × 320 mm × 10 mm, targeting a density of 700 kg/m³ . Subsequently, the samples were trimmed and conditioned at 20°C and 65% relative humidity. In this study, we compared bark particleboard bonded with urea formaldehyde (UF) adhesive to fine-sized particleboard bonded with demethylated lignin adhesive. The results indicated that bark particleboards utilizing demethylated lignin and UF adhesives exhibited similar qualities. Coarse particleboard showed differences in modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR), while medium-sized particles exhibited significant variations in moisture content (MC) and water absorption (WA). Furthermore, the thickness swelling of coarse and medium-sized particles under wet and oven-dried conditions exhibited notable distinctions. Overall, the demethylated lignin adhesive extracted from L. leucocephala bark demonstrated similar quality to UF adhesive, with particle size correlating inversely to the strength of the bark particleboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La exposición de ladera es uno de los factores ambientales que influye sobre características de la vegetación. Aunque existen trabajos sobre este aspecto en diversos tipos de vegetación, hasta ahora los matorrales submontanos no han sido muy estudiados. En este trabajo se evaluó el efecto de la exposición de las laderas en la estructura y composición de especies de plantas en un parque estatal del noreste de México donde la vegetación dominante es matorral submontano. Se muestrearon 10 sitios de 10 x 10 m en exposición: noreste, suroeste y noroeste. A cada individuo se le midió la altura total (h), diámetro basal (d0,10) y diámetro de copa (k). Nuestras hipótesis fueron: 1) la comunidad de la exposición noroeste tendrá mayor área basal, cobertura de dosel, volumen, abundancia absoluta y riqueza específica debido a la mayor humedad, 2) cada ladera presentará disimilitud en la composición de especies. Como resultados se registraron nueve familias, 17 génerosy 17 especies de plantas vasculares. Fabaceae fue la familia mejor representada con seis especies. Las especies con mayor índice de valor deimportancia fueron la arbustiva endémica Neopringlea integrifolia en la exposición noreste (21,52 %) y la exótica arbórea Leucaena leucocephalaen las exposiciones suroeste (16,17 %) y noroeste (27,16 %). Se concluye que la comunidad vegetal de la exposición noroeste tiene mayor áreabasal, cobertura de copa, volumen, abundancia absoluta y riqueza específica. Sin embargo, no hubo diferencia real en la composición deespecies de las tres exposiciones.

The data presented here is the characteristics of biopellets and its raw materials. The raw materials of lignocellulosic waste (coffee skin, corncob, patchouli waste) and shrubs (Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium) were collected from certain districts in Indonesia which provided quite abundant stocks of these raw materials. The raw material preparation and pelletization at room temperature (25 °C) using a manual press machine were carried out at Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia. Meanwhile, pelletization at high temperatures (225 °C) was carried out at The Integrated Laboratory of Forest Research and Development, Bogor, Indonesia. The evaluation of density, moisture content, volatile matter content, ash content, and amount of fixed carbon were also carried out at the laboratory. Meanwhile, evaluation of mineral content (sulfur, Na2O, K2O, Cl) and calorivic value was carried out at the Livestock Research Institute, Bogor, Indonesia. The results show that pelletization at high temperature produces better quality biopellets compared to pelletization at room temperature. Pelletization of L. leucocephala at high temperature produces the best quality biopellets with the highest density (1.17 g/cm3) and calorific value (4726 kcal/kg) and the lowest moisture content (4.87 %) and mineral content (0.01 % of S, 0.0014 % of Na2O, 1.53 % of K2O, and 0.17 % of Cl) among the other raw materials tested. This dataset is expected to be a primary source in comparing and determining the proper type of raw material for biopellet production as an alternative renewable energy source, especially those originating from shrubs and similar lignocellulosic waste.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the association of Opuntia stricta (OS) or Nopalea cochenillifera (NC) with Moringa hay (MY) or Leucaena hay (LY) on nutrient intake, ingestive behavior, serum biochemistry, and milk production and composition of dairy goat. Eight multiparous Saanen goats were used, with an average of 68 ± 8 days in milk and 48.5 ± 6 kg of initial weight, fed with the following treatment diets: OS + MY; OS + LY; NC + MY, and NC + LY. The treatments were distributed in a double Latin square, in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme (two varieties of cactus and two of hay). Goats fed with NC had higher (P < 0.05) intakes of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and non-fibrous carbohydrates. There was no influence (P > 0.05) on milk production, but goats fed with OS produced milk with higher (P < 0.05) fat content and presented higher (P < 0.05) feed efficiency. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of the hay type on the nutrient intake and milk production and composition of goats, but the animals fed with MY had higher (P < 0.05) serum cholesterol levels and greater efficiency of NDF rumination. Goats fed with OS showed greater feeding and rumination efficiency. Our results indicated that both cactus species could be successfully included in the diet of low yielding dairy goats fed 18.4% concentrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the control of an invasive tree species, native forest ecosystem restoration can be prevented by a secondary invasion by another invasive species that inhibits the reestablishment of native trees. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the invasive shrub Leucaena leucocephala on the initial growth of planted seedlings of four native tree species (Pandanus boninensis, Rhaphiolepis indica, Schima mertensiana, and Terminalia catappa) after eradication of the invasive tree Casuarina equisetifolia in the Ogasawara Islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. In a 24‐month field experiment, we compared the sizes of planted seedlings (diameter at ground level, height, and leaf number) among four treatments in a 2 × 2 design of initial seedling size (large vs. small) × L. leucocephala invasion (sowing L. leucocephala seeds vs. control). More than 75% of the seedlings (excluding S. mertensiana) survived regardless of the treatments. For all four species, initially large seedlings tended to become larger plants at the end of the experiment than initially small seedlings. We detected significant effects of L. leucocephala invasion on one or more plant size parameters in all four species. Seedlings grown in L. leucocephala invasion quadrats were smaller than those in control quadrats at the end of the experiment. We detected significant interactions between initial seedling sizes and L. leucocephala invasion for three species. Together, these results indicate that secondary invasion by L. leucocephala after controlling C. equisetifolia inhibits the initial growth of native tree seedlings, depending on their size at the time of invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of manure, organic mulch, and legume‐based fertilizers can increase soil fertility in semiarid regions. However, the effects of such practices on soils prone to desertification are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate soil fertility and herbaceous stratum yield on soils amended with different organic inputs in the desertification hotspot of Irauçuba, Ceará state, Brazil. The experiments were performed in two areas with different soils (Planosol and Cambisol), in randomized blocks with a 2 × 2 × 3 + 1 factorial design. The factors consisted of (i) mulch (presence or absence of Copernicia prunifera [carnauba palm] straw), (ii) manure (sheep or cattle), and (iii) legume‐based fertilizer (Mimosa tenuiflora [jurema], Mimosa caesalpiniifolia [sabiá], and Leucaena leucocephala [leucena]), in addition to an untreated control, with three replicates. Soil chemical attributes and herbaceous stratum yield were assessed in the two areas. Positive effects of the combined use of carnauba palm straw, manures, and legume‐based fertilizers on soil fertility were more evident for Planosol than for Cambisol. The combination of sheep manure with sabiá‐based fertilizer in Planosol, and cattle manure and leucena‐based fertilizer in Cambisol increased herbaceous stratum yield. Herbaceous stratum yield in Planosol is more responsive to the input of great amounts of soil nutrients (especially P) and it increases soil organic matter levels, while in Cambisol, herbaceous stratum yield is more associated with the ability of inputs to make nutrients readily available. The use of organic amendments can reverse, in the short‐term, degradation and desertification processes of soils in the Brazilian semiarid region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic dyes are persistent organic environmental pollutants that can cause extensive damage to living beings and to the ecosystem as a whole. Cost-effective, sustainable, and efficient strategies to deal with this type of pollution are necessary as it commonly resists conventional water treatment methods. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using the aqueous extract from the leaves, stem, and fruits of Leucaena leucocephala (Leucena) were produced and characterized through UV–vis, TEM, EDS, SDL, XPS, XRD, and zeta potential, and they proved to be able to promote adsorption to remediate methylene blue and tartrazine pollution in water. The nanoremediation was performed and did not require direct exposure to sunlight or any special lamp or a specific reduction agent. The AgNPs produced using the extract from the leaves exhibited the best performance in nanoremediation and also presented antioxidant activity that surpassed the one from butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Consequently, it is an interesting nanotool to use in dye nanoremediation and/or as an antioxidant nanostructure.

Simple Summary: The production of greenhouse gases (GHG) from livestock and its impact on climate change are a major concern worldwide. It has been reported that enteric methane is the most important GHG emitted in ruminant production systems at a farm scale, accounting for approximately 50 to 60%. Many attempts have been made to modify fermentation ruminal and decrease methane production. It has recently been shown some plants, leaves, fruits, and roots reduce methane production in the rumen. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala leaves (LLL) and prickly pear (PP) (Opuntia ficus-indica) in ruminant diets, on ruminal fermentation patterns, methane production, and microbial population under in vitro conditions. The results showed that the inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala in the diet decreased the concentrations of methane (CH4) and also decreased the constant rate of degradation of dry matter, ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and microbial biomass synthesis (MBS). In addition, Opuntia ficus-indica recorded higher potential gas production and higher dry matter intake compared to Leucaena leucocephala. In this study, four experimental treatments were evaluated: (T1) alfalfa hay + concentrate, (50:50%, DM); (T2) alfalfa hay + Leucaena leucocephala + concentrate, (30:20:50%, DM); (T3) alfalfa hay + prickly pear + concentrate, (30:20:50%, DM); and (T4) alfalfa hay + Leucaena leucocephala + prickly pear + concentrate, (30:10:10:50%, DM). NH3-N concentrations in T2 and T4 decreased when replaced with alfalfa hay in 20 and 10%, respectively. Treatments did not affect the concentration of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) between T3 and T4 (p > 0.05), while the concentrations among T1 and T2 were different (p < 0.05). T2 showed a reduction of 25.5% in the methane production when compared to T1 (p < 0.05). The lowest concentrations of protozoa were observed in T2 and T4, which contained Leucaena leucocephala (T2) and Leucaena leucocephala + prickly pear (T4) (p < 0.05). The highest concentration of total methanogens was recorded in T1 and was different in T2, T3, and T4 (p < 0.05). Leucaena leucocephala, at an inclusion percentage of 20%, decreased the methane when compared to T1, whereas prickly pear increased methane production in relation to T1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of plant-based coagulant extracted from Leucaena leucocephala seeds compared with alum in removing solids from aquaculture wastewater. Water-extraction method was used to extract the active ingredients from the seeds by dissolving the seeds' powder in distilled water at 20 g/L concentration, whereas alum was dissolved directly at the same concentration. Operation parameters of jar test including dosage, rapid-mixing speed, and settling time were optimized for the water-extracted seed solution and alum to improve the removal efficiency. The optimum operation parameters for the water-extracted seed solution and alum were dosages of 240 and 320 mg/L respectively, rapid-mixing speed 150 rpm, and settling time 40 min. At the optimum operation parameters, water-extracted seed solution had removal efficiencies of 96.32%, 92.85%, and 86%, whereas alum had removal efficiencies of 99.77%, 99.92%, and 99.92% for turbidity, total suspended solids, and color, respectively. Despite the high efficiency of the water-extracted seed solution, dissolved contaminants such as NO3, PO4, COD, and true color increased owing to the presence of organic matter in the solution. With these results, L. leucocephala seeds had high potential to be used as alternative in removing solids from aquaculture wastewater. Further studies on the extraction of active ingredients should be conducted to increase the removal efficiency and avoid side effects on the contaminants dissolved in the effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) levels in agricultural soils are increasing because of industrial expansion and pesticide discharge. There are few plants that tolerate heavy metals particularly Cd. NaHS as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor plays a significant role in Cd tolerance by plants reducing its toxicity. The present research was oriented to evaluate the effect of NaHS in Cd and macro-/micronutrient uptake, as well as some physical and chemical parameters in Leucaena leucocephala plants exposed to this metal. Seedlings were grown in a hydroponic system and exposed to 5 ppm of Cd and NaHS at 1, 10, and 100 μM for 3 days. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES) was used to quantify Cd content and macro-/micronutrients in plant tissues. Results show a significant difference (Fisher's LSD) in radicle length and chlorophyll but did not show effect on carotenoids content. Addition of NaHS to the media shows a significant increase in Cd uptake by root as NaHS concentration in media increased. The maximum Cd uptake (7670 ± 102 mg/kg) was found in the roots of plants exposed to 100 μM of NaHS. A significant reduction in catalase (CAT) activity was observed in the root system, which is due to Cd concentration inside tissues. Results suggested that NaHS helps to decrease the toxic effect of Cd on the growth and development of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the fermentative profile, fermentative losses, microbial populations, aerobic stability, chemical composition, and in situ degradability of total mixed ration silages based on forage cactus associated with xerophytic legumes. The treatments consisted of four total mixed ration silages based on forage cactus and concentrate (TMRC), associated with legumes such as Gliricidia sepium (TMRG), Leucaena (TMRL), and Senna obtusifolia (TMRS). There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) among the evaluated treatments for the pH and NH3-N (% of total N) variables. The pH values remained within the ideal range, from 4.2 to 4.4, and the NH3-N content ranged from 2.21 to 0.85%. The dry matter recovery for the evaluated treatments averaged 89%. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts ranged from 5.0 to 6.3 log CFU/g among the evaluated silages, with TMRC presenting the lowest count at 5 log CFU/g in comparison with the total mixed ration silages associated with legume plants. All of the total mixed ration silages associated with legumes presented an average mold count of 3.3 log CFU/g. Yeast populations were observed only for TMRG at 5 log CFU/g. A higher aerobic stability was observed for TMRC, followed by TMRG and then TMRS. In conclusion, the total mixed ration silages associated with G. sepium and S. obtusifolia can be recommended based on their fermentation and nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit seeds, also known as river tamarind, contain sulfhydryl compounds that exhibit antioxidant effects. However, these seeds also possess a toxic effect from mimosine. In this study, the river tamarind seeds were extracted using a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) based UAE. Among six NADES compositions screened, choline chloride-glycerol (ChCl-Gly) and choline chloride-sucrose (ChCl-Suc) were selected to be further optimized using a Box-Behnken Design in the RSM. The optimization of total sulfhydryl content was performed in 17 runs using three variables, namely water content in NADES (39%, 41%, and 43%), extraction time (5, 10, and 15 min), and the liquid-solid ratio (3, 5, and 7 mL/g). The highest concentration of sulfhydryls was obtained from ChCl-Gly-UAE (0.89 mg/g sample) under the conditions of a water content in NADES of 41% (v/v) and a liquid-solid ratio of 3 mL/g for 15 min, followed by that of from ChCl-Suc-UAE extract under the conditions of water content in NADES of 43% (v/v) and the liquid-solid ratio of 3 mL/g for 10 min with total sulfhydryl level was 0.67 mg/g sample. The maceration method using 30% ethanol resulted in the lowest level of sulfhydryls with a value of 0.52 mg/g. The mimosine compounds obtained in the NADES-based UAE (ChCl-Suc and ChCl-Gly) extracts were 4.95 and 7.67 mg/g, respectively, while 12.56 mg/g in the 30% ethanol-maceration extract. The surface morphology of L. leucocephala seed before and after extraction was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of ChCl-Suc and ChCl-Gly in NADES-based UAE is more selective in attracting sulfhydryl compounds than that of 30% ethanol-maceration extraction.

Invasive species threaten crops and ecosystems worldwide. Therefore, we sought to understand the relationship between the geographic distribution of species populations and the characteristics of seeds using new techniques such as seed image analysis, multivariate analysis, and machine learning. This study aimed to characterize Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. seeds from spatially dispersed populations using digital images and analyzed their implications for genetic studies. Seed size and shape descriptors were obtained using image analysis of the five populations. Several analyses were performed including descriptive statistics, principal components, Euclidean distance, Mantel correlation test, and supervised machine learning. This image analysis technique proved to be efficient in detecting biometric differences in L. leucocephala seeds from spatially dispersed populations. This method revealed that spatially dispersed L. leucocephala populations had different biometric seed patterns that can be used in studies of population genetic divergence. We observed that it is possible to identify the origin of the seeds from the biometric characters with 80.4% accuracy (Kappa statistic 0.755) when we applied the decision tree algorithm. Digital imaging analysis associated with machine learning is promising for discriminating forest tree populations, supporting management activities, and studying population genetic divergence. This technique contributes to the understanding of genotype-environment interactions and consequently identifies the ability of an invasive species to spread in a new area, making it possible to track and monitor the flow of seeds between populations and other sites.

The present study investigated the use of a biosorbent produced from Leucaena leucocephala pods for the removal of metformin from aqueous solutions. The pods were subjected to chemical and thermal treatments and were referred to as L. leucocephala modified, which was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters investigated in the sorption process were temperature, contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, and initial metformin concentration. The experimental data were in accordance with the Langmuir isothermal model. The maximum adsorption capacity reached was 56.18 mg g−1 at 313 K. In the kinetic study, stability was achieved in 300 min, with 53.24% removal, and the pseudo-first-order model agreed well with the experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters indicated a spontaneous, favorable, and exothermic reaction. The presence of NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 negatively affected metformin adsorption. Thus, the importance of the study was that a developed material showed promising results in the removal of metformin, particularly because it is an innovative material, and there are no studies in the literature on drug removal using L. leucocephala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the first record of wilt and gummosis disease in subabul trees caused by Fusarium equiseti in India. Subabul trees are economically important for the paper and pulp industry in India. The affected trees exhibited symptoms of yellowing, wilting, and gummosis. Isolates of Fusarium equiseti were obtained from the diseased tissue and were found to be identical in their genetic sequences. Pathogenicity tests confirmed that the Fusarium isolates caused similar symptoms in healthy subabul plants. The rapid spread of this disease poses a threat to subabul plantations, and the development of management strategies is necessary. [Extracted from the article]

The potential of Leucaena leucocephala leaves as a protein supplement needs to be optimized. This research aims to evaluate the use of 10 to 40% Leucaena leucocephala leaves with 15% of crude protein to increase the production of goat farming. A total of 16 male Etawa (Jamnapari) goats with an average weight of 28.20±3.79 kg. The researchers analyzed the data using the Randomized Group Design with four treatments and four groups based on the subject's body weight. Each goat obtained basal feeds ad libitum and the concentrated feeds with 15% crude protein corresponding to each treatment Leucaena leucocephala-based concentrate (named KL, consisting of KL10%, KL20%, KL30%, and KL40%), reaching 1% of Body Weight. The supplementation of Leucaena leucocephala leaves showed an insignificant response (P>0.05) over feed consumption, digestibility, and digested feed consumption yet significantly (P

The paper reports Boron (B) uptake using Leucaena leucocephala seed pods (LLSP) as a pre-treatment for reverse osmosis seawater desalination. The process increases the quality of the membrane-entering nutrient water. The research investigated a new, low-cost biosorption technique for boron from Gaza shore on the Mediterranean Sea at a distance of 300 m from shore and 1 m deep. The maximum adsorption efficiency reached 85.7% at pH 12, 30 min contact time, and adsorbent dosage of 2 g/100 ml seawater. The initial and final concentration of boron was measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied to the adsorption data. The kinetic data for removal processes were fitted with the pseudo-second-order model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed at curating a porous KCl crosslinked hydrogel with purified subabul galactomannans (SG) from the defatted seeds of Leucaena leucocephala (subabul) and κ‐carrageenan (κC) by inducing whey protein isolate (WPI). WPI showed 345% foam overrun and minimal foam drainage (%) at 70°C when whipped for 5 min at pH 6.8 in the hydrogel prepared with 6.5% w/v SG + 1% w/v κC + 0.63% w/v KCl + 2% w/v WPI. The SG and WPI incorporated porous hydrogel (SGWP) showed maximum G′ (3010 Pa) and frequency independence (>30 Hz) at 65°C. NMR (1H), scanning electron microscopy, and thermal characterization of SGWP showed a crosslinked microporous gel network formation. SGWP had high water uptake rate (Q) (432%) at 45°C. The stability of SGWP at neutral pH and high temperature (65°C) added an impetus to this study as it could be used for a wide range of applications. Hence the protein–polysaccharide complexation improvised the functional properties of the porous hydrogels. The results suggested a possible valorization of galactomannans from subabul, a forest resource, into a porous hydrogel suitable as a matrix for delivery of bioactive(s) or an aerogel for multifarious industrial applications. Practical Application: A porous hydrogel is defined as a solid, or collection of solid bodies, with sufficient open space to enable a fluid to pass through or around them. Leucaena leucocephala seed (forest resource) galactomannans are non‐starch polysaccharides having weak gelling capacity. Whey protein isolates (WPI) are a dairy industry byproduct having excellent foaming properties. Incorporation of WPI in the hydrogel prepared with subabul galactomannan and κ‐carrageenan using KCl as a crosslin could form a stable porous structure having high water uptake rate (Q) at neutral pH and elevated temperature. The hydrogel so developed could be a step toward circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment aimed to evaluate chemical composition, in vitro rumen fermentation, digestibility, and methane emissions of forages including bede grass, gamal (Gliricidia sepium), Indigofera, lamtoro (Leucaena leucocephala), elephant grass, mini elephant grass and Thai elephant grass. Forage samples were dried at 60oC for 24 hours, then ground to 1 mm sieve. The ground samples were used subsequently to determine the chemical composition and in vitro rumen fermentation test. Incubation was carried out in a water bath at 39oC for 48 h without replication. The results showed that all forages contained various crude protein at a range of 9-20% DM. The proportion of neutral detergent insoluble CP (NDICP) and acid detergent insoluble CP (ADICP) in forage was generally low, but the highest was found in bede grass. The highest NH3 concentration was found in Indigofera incubation, and lowest was in bede grass. All forage samples, except for mini elephant grass and Indigofera, had IVDMD and IVOMD below 70%. We identified low methane emissions from forage at 48 hours of incubation. It was concluded that legumes had a higher crude protein than in grass species and had low methane emissions. However, the relatively low digestibility of legume may limit its utilization.

Turbidity is removed by adding a chemical coagulant, which produces a secondary toxic of alumina residues in the water. Therefore, the aim of study was to evaluate the coagulation activity of NaCl extract from Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania grandiflora seeds on the removal of turbidity for water purification. The proximate composition of the seeds was determined. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the functional groups of protein, and the surface morphology was observed by SEM-EDS. To obtain the optimized condition, all experiments were evaluated by artificial turbid water before being applied on the natural water (i.e., Selokan Mataram). The coagulation process was evaluated by concentration (M), dosage (mL/L), and pH in terms of turbidity, total dissolved solids, and transmittance of light. The results showed that both coagulant seeds contained 25.32 and 30.81% of protein. These coagulants could remove the turbidity by 99.7% for L. leucocephala and 94.24% for S. grandiflora from artificial turbid water at the optimized concentration of 1.0 M, and dosage of 5 and 10 mL/L, respectively. At pH 5 the removal of turbidity from Selokan Mataram was 99.4% for L. leucocephala and 97.23% for S. grandiflora.

Abstract Nitrogen management in a karst basin is examined through the establishment of legumes Leucaena leucocephala and Phaseolus vulgaris in pasture and crop areas respectively, with the objective of enriching the nutrient flow interrupted by the construction of dams and canals built during the 1990s, which have altered the natural patterns of hydrological variation and transport to the sea. The different soil treatments show low values of overland fluxes to the sea between 0.9623 and 0.9624 kg ha−1 yr−1 for crops, discretely increasing by 0.02% in pasture and by 0.28% for crop + pasture according to the geomorphic potential of the basin. For land use conditions, a positive economic nitrogen balance was estimated in the range of 55–1560 for crops and 22–2400 USD ha−1 yr−1 for pastures, the latter showing positive balances at the lowest fixation rates, confirming that cover management with legumes maximizes gains and minimizes losses for both agricultural and marine ecosystems, providing a source of indirect fertilization downstream where agricultural areas are located. Article highlights In the flat karst region, geomorphological potential is the main factor in predicting the dynamics of sediment movement. Leguminous land use has a weak effect on alleviating pressures on the island's oligotrophic marine ecosystems. In both crop and pasture, a positive annual economic balance of N was found in the range of 55–2400 USD ha−1 yr−1.

Water contamination that caused by heavy metals is a very common phenomenon in the industrial age. One of the popular way to treat metal contaminated water is by adsorption process using activated carbon as the adsorbent. This paper works on producing activated carbon by chemical means with impregnation ratios of NaOH:char (w/w) was predetermined at 1:1 (ACT1-1), 2:1 (ACT2-1) and 3:1 (ACT3-1) under activation temperature of 700°C. Considering the Leucaena leucocephala is a wildly, easy and fast grown species, with the availability throught the year, it was chosen to be used as the precursor. The properties of these activated carbons and its potential for cadmium removal from aqueus solution was analyzed. It was found that the highest surface area was recorded at 662.76 m²/g. Four parameters were studied which are contact time, the effect of pH, initial concentration of adsorbate and temperature. The equilibrium time was achieved in 40 min treatment at initial concentrations of 30 mg/l. The adsorbent exhibited good sorption potential for cadmium at pH 8.0 and equilibrium temperature of 30℃. Based on the results, this study had proved that activated carbon from Leucaena leucocephala biomass have the good potential to be used for removal of cadmium from wastewater.

Predicting the direction and magnitude of change in soil dynamics caused by invasive plant species has proven to be difficult because these changes are often reported to be species- and habitat-specific. This study was conducted to determine changes in three soil properties, eight soil ions, and seven soil microelements under established stands of four invasive plants, Prosopis juliflora, Ipomoea carnea, Leucaena leucocephala, and Opuntia ficus-indica. Soil properties, ions, and microelements were measured in sites invaded by these four species in southwest Saudi Arabia, and these values were compared to the results for the same 18 parameters from adjacent sites with native vegetation. Because this study was conducted in an arid ecosystem, we predict that these four invasive plants will significantly alter the soil properties, ions, and microelements in the areas they invaded. While the soils of sites with the four invasive plant species generally had higher values for soil properties and ions compared to sites with native vegetation, in most instances these differences were not statistically significant. However, the soils within sites invaded by I. carnea, L. leucocephala, and P. juliflora had statistically significant differences for some soil parameters. For sites invaded by O. puntia ficus-indica, no soil properties, ions, or microelements were significantly different compared to adjacent sites with native vegetation. Sites invaded by the four plant species generally exhibited differences in the 11 soil properties, but in no instance were these differences statistically significant. All three soil properties and one soil ion (Ca) were significantly different across the four stands of native vegetation. For the seven soil microelements, significantly different values were detected for Co and Ni, but only among stands of the four invasive plant species. These results indicate that the four invasive plant species altered soil properties, ions, and microelements, but for most of the parameters we assessed, not significantly. Our results do not support our initial prediction, but are in general agreement with previous published findings, which indicate that the effects of invasive plants on soil dynamics vary idiosyncratically among invasive species and among invaded habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien plants are considered as one of the major causes of loss of native biodiversity around the world. Remote sensing provides an opportunity to identify and map native and invasive species using accurate spectral information. The current study was aimed to evaluate PlanetScope (3 m) and Sentinel (10 m) datasets for mapping the distribution of native and invasive species in two protected areas in Pakistan, using machine learning (ML) algorithms. The multispectral data were analysed with the following four ML algorithms (classifiers)—random forest (RF), Gaussian mixture model (GMM), k-nearest neighbour (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM)—to classify two invasive species, Lantana camara L. (common lantana) and Leucaena leucocephala L. The (Ipil-ipil) Dzetsaka plugin of QGIS was used to map these species using all ML algorithms. RF, GMM, and SVM algorithms were more accurate at detecting both invasive species when using PlanetScope imagery rather than Sentinel. Random forest produced the highest accuracy of 64% using PlanetScope data. Lantana camara was the most dominating plant species with 23% cover, represented in all thematic maps. Leucaena leucocpehala was represented by 7% cover and was mainly distributed in the southern end of the Jindi Reserve Forest (Jhelum). It was not possible to discriminate native species Dodonea viscosa Jacq. (Snatha) using the SVM classifier for Sentinel data. Overall, the accuracy of PlanetScope was slightly better than Sentinel in term of species discrimination. These spectral findings provide a reliable estimation of the current distribution status of invasive species and would be helpful for land managers to prioritize invaded areas for their effective management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is the most common non-communicable disease in the Philippines, characterized by increased blood glucose levels brought by low insulin production or insulin resistance. Chamaecostus cuspidatus is a medicinal plant known for its glucoselowering property. The controlled release of the C. cuspidatus leaves must be achieved to maximize its antidiabetic property. Leucaena leucocephala is an endemic tree in the Philippines, having its seed as a source of possible co-encapsulating material for drug delivery. Galactomannan, as the main component of the isolated seed gum, can be used as a substitute for an effective moderate drug release to its intended site. Thus, this study evaluates the drug release property and stability of seed gum as a co-encapsulating agent for targeted and controlled delivery of the C. cuspidatus leaves. The encapsulation process of the C. cuspidatus leaves was done through the extrusion method. The stability of the encapsulation was evaluated through in vitro gastrointestinal simulation analysis and was examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to verify its surface morphology. The capsules were observed to fully disintegrate at the fed state (pH 5.4) of the simulated gastrointestinal conditions, which is the target site. The fingerprint on the FTIR spectra of the encapsulated drug presented indicates the successful incorporation of the powdered leaves inside the encapsulating material. Morphological micrographs have shown that the resulting capsules were fairly in spherical, having a size of approximately 3.8 mm. Ridges and pores are also present on the surface of the capsules for their immediate disintegration and hydration. Therefore, the L. leucocephala seed gum can be a potential candidate as a coencapsulating material suitable for effective, targeted, and controlled delivery of C. cuspidatus leaves for maximum antidiabetic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gums or hydrocolloids are important ingredients in the food industry due to their use as thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents and texture enhancers in the foods in which they are used. In this study, gums rheological behaviors from seeds of flamboyant (Delonix regia), pixoy (Guazuma ulmifolia), and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) at several concentrations were evaluated. The flow and viscoelasticity curves of dispersions in water at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% were determined and adjusted to different mathematical models. In the three gums, at low concentrations the best behavior adjustment was obtained with the power law model, while at high concentrations the rheological behavior was adjusted to the Cross model. Viscosity decreased with increasing shear rate and flow index values (n) indicated a shear thinning behavior (n <1) for all concentrations evaluated. The values of the consistency index (K) were higher for the dispersions of the pixoy gum (0.71-1.79) than for the other gums (0.10-0.61) in all concentrations studied. The elastic modulus was greater than modulus viscous and both moduli were little dependent on the frequency in the range studied to pixoy gum, associated with gel type behavior, while flamboyant and leucaena had a macromolecular solution behavior type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fodder tree leaves (FTL) are limitless nutrient resources that provide high-quality feed, particularly during the dry season, improving animal diets, and reducing the use of concentrates in ruminant livestock farming. In order to determine the benefits of FTL, two experiments were conducted to measure the voluntary feed intake, growth performance, and nitrogen utilization of forest-type (FT) sheep fed rice straw (RS) and supplemented with either Leucaena leucocephala (LEU) or Samanea saman (SAM) or their equal combination (LS). For the growth trial (Experiment 1), 12 male FT sheep with mean initial body weight (BW) of 17.0 ± 1.0 kg (mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design. The diets were Urea-treated RS (UTS) (Control), RS + L (LEU), RS + S (SAM), and RS + 50% L + 50% S (LS). After 14 d of adjustment period, feed intakes and refusals were recorded daily, whereas BW was recorded bi-weekly for 12 wk. Four rams weighing 17.0 ± 1.0 kg BW were randomly assigned to the four treatments over a four period in a repeated (4 × 4) Latin square design to estimate the nitrogen (N) balance study (Experiment 2). Treatment diets were the same as that of Experiment 1. Dry matter intake of straw was highest (P = 0.0001) for sheep fed UTS. However, combining L with S increased (P = 0.0001) straw DM intake compared to feeding L or S alone. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in total feed intake between sheep offered UTS and LS, but both were significantly higher (P = 0.0001) than those offered LEU and SAM. Body weight gain (3.70 kg) and growth rate (196.15 g/d) were highest (P = 0.0001) for sheep offered LS compared to the other treatment groups. Values for N balance differed (P = 0.0001) among treatment diets. N balance for LUE and LS supplemented diets were higher than that of SAM but all were higher (P = 0.0001) than those offered UTS. Leucaena and Samanea leaves could, therefore, be utilized as supplement to poor-quality straws to improve the productivity of small ruminants especially during the long dry seasons in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is part of knowledge management and value-added transmission of goat production for sustainable career promotion and community food security. The objective of this study was to investigate how fresh leucaena and the effect of different sources of leucaena on growth performance and meat quality in indigenous Anglo-Nubian hybrid goats ale after weaning, with an average weight starting at approximately 15 kg, were divided into 5 groups of 4 with 4 repetitions each. The research was allotted in five into five groups of four repeats each. Treatment 1 received pangola grass as a crude feed source, treatment 2 received leucaena as a 25% feed substitute, treatment 3 received leucaena as a crude feed substitute at level 50%, treatment 4 received leucaena as a feed substitute at level 75, and treatment 5 received leucaena as a 100% coarse feed substitute. Leucaena was able to raise goats at a rate of 75-100%. The average daily gain, feed cost per gain of 1 kg, and blood-urea-nitrogen (BUN) values after 4 hours of feeding were the best and higher than the BUN values of the other groups. The difference in values was statistically significant. (P<0.05), and use in percentages 50-100 did not affect the final weight, total weight gain, dry matter content, protein intake, total feed conversion ratio (FCR), dry matter intake (DMI) to percentage body weight (BW), feed cost per gain, economic loss index, production performance index, salable head return, carcass characteristics, quality and chemical composition of meat, or meat acceptance according to research results. The difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BACKGROUND: Sorghum is one of the major staple crops in Sub Saharan Africa but its production is mainly limited by moisture stress, frequent droughts and soil infertility, especially in the smallholder farming systems. This raises the need to develop climate smart options to improve sorghum production. The objective was to assess the effects of rainwater harvesting and use of different Leucaena leucocephala biomass rates on soil moisture content, rainwater use efficiency, and stover and grain yields in two sorghum varieties (Macia and SV1). The experiment was laid as a randomized complete block design in split‐split plot arrangement from 2017/2018 to 2019/2020 season. RESULTS: The results show that tied contour (TC) and infiltration pits (IPs) significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil moisture content than standard contour (SC). Soil moisture content increased gradually with the increase in soil depth (20–40 cm > 0–20 cm), with 2018/2019 season having the maximum soil moisture content. Soil moisture content also increased with the increase in application rates of Leucaena biomass. Grain and stover yields were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by all Leucaena biomass application rates with higher yield observed in 2018/2019 season. SC had significantly lower grain and stover yields at all Leucaena biomass application rates. TC and IPs had comparable rainwater use efficiency compared to SC. Rainwater use efficiency increased with application rates of Leucaena biomass across all seasons and varieties. CONCLUSION: TC and IPs are better adaptive mechanisms against drought spells in semi‐arid areas and can be combined with 10 t ha−1 of Leucaena biomass due to better yield increments realized. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental contamination with Cadmium (Cd) is of great concern due to its hazardous effects on living organisms.Query In the present research, Leucaena leucocephala plants were exposed to Cd concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 mg/L to determine their potential use in Cd remediation. Different parameters including Cd uptake, macro/micronutrient content, chlorophyl, and catalase production were determined. Results indicated that Cd uptake by L. leucocephala roots did not show a significant difference between treatments. However, a significant increase in Cd content (Tukey´s HSD) was observed in stems as Cd levels in the media augmented. The highest Cd content (830 ± 20 mg/kg) was determined in stems of plants exposed to 15 mg/L Cd, and no Cd was detected in leaves. Data showed that as Cd concentration increased in the media, Ca, Mg, K, Zn, and Mn decreased. Moreover, while the presence of Cd reduced catalase activity in roots, chlorophyll production was not affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composting is an environmental-friendly option for yard waste management, and produces products for improving soil quality. However, there is a weed dispersal risk if the compost contains many active weed seeds. This study assessed the potential of composting in minimizing the seed germination of a major tropical invasive weed, Leucaena leucocephala. The germination of the species was tested after two different sets of thermal treatments, i.e., (1) different constant temperatures (20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C) for 5 days, and (2) composting temperature (simulating the temperature profile of a typical composting process) for 60 days. A three-month growth test was further conducted for the seeds treated with the composting temperature. The seeds were present either alone (N-seeds) or mixed with wood chips (W-seeds) when thermally treated. A constant temperature treatment of 70 °C suppressed the seed germination to a low rate. For the composting temperature treatment, the germination percentage of the N-seeds and W-seeds were reduced from around 60% to 22.7% and 12.7%, respectively. This preliminary study suggested that the temperature should reach as high as 70 °C in the composting process to guarantee the suppression of the germination of the seeds of L. leucocephala, particularly when the seeds are contained within seed pods during composting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) have been identified as the primary contaminants in soil, posing potential health threats. This study aimed to examine the effects of applying a nitrogen fertilizer and a fungal agent Trichoderma harzianum J2 (nitrogen alone, fungi alone, and combined use) on the phytoremediation of soils co-contaminated with Pb and Cd. The growth of Leucaena leucocephala was monitored in the seedling, differentiation, and maturity stages to fully comprehend the remediation mechanisms. In the maturity stage, the biomass of L. leucocephala significantly increased by 18% and 29% under nitrogen-alone (NCK+) and fungal agent-alone treatments (J2), respectively, compared with the control in contaminated soil (CK+). The remediation factors of Pb and Cd with NCK+ treatment significantly increased by 50% and 125%, respectively, while those with J2 treatment increased by 73% and 145%, respectively. The partial least squares path model suggested that the nitrogen-related soil properties were prominent factors affecting phytoextraction compared with biotic factors (microbial diversity and plant growth). This model explained 2.56 of the variation in Cd concentration under J2 treatment, and 2.97 and 2.82 of the variation in Pb concentration under NCK+ and J2 treatments, respectively. The redundancy analysis showed that the samples under NCK+ and J2 treatments were clustered similarly in all growth stages. Also, Chytridiomycota , Mucoromucota , and Ciliophora were the key bioindicators for coping with heavy metals. Overall, a similar remediation mechanism allowed T. harzianum J2 to replace the nitrogen fertilizer to avoid secondary pollution. In addition, their combined use further increased the remediation efficiency. [Display omitted] • Trichoderma harzianum J2 exhibited plant-promoted and Pb–Cd-enriched traits. • Inoculation increased BF, TF, and RF in Leucaena leucocephala , particularly for Pb. • Inoculation regulated nitrogen cycling and improved microbial community structure. • Soil nitrogen properties were key drivers for the removal of Pb and Cd. • Bio-fertilizer J2 could replace nitrogen fertilizers for Pb–Cd remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the fermentative profile, fermentative losses, microbial populations, aerobic stability, chemical composition, and in situ degradability of total mixed ration silages based on forage cactus associated with xerophytic legumes. The treatments consisted of four total mixed ration silages based on forage cactus and concentrate (TMRC), associated with legumes such as Gliricidia sepium (TMRG), Leucaena (TMRL), and Senna obtusifolia (TMRS). There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) among the evaluated treatments for the pH and NH3-N (% of total N) variables. The pH values remained within the ideal range, from 4.2 to 4.4, and the NH3-N content ranged from 2.21 to 0.85%. The dry matter recovery for the evaluated treatments averaged 89%. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts ranged from 5.0 to 6.3 log CFU/g among the evaluated silages, with TMRC presenting the lowest count at 5 log CFU/g in comparison with the total mixed ration silages associated with legume plants. All of the total mixed ration silages associated with legumes presented an average mold count of 3.3 log CFU/g. Yeast populations were observed only for TMRG at 5 log CFU/g. A higher aerobic stability was observed for TMRC, followed by TMRG and then TMRS. In conclusion, the total mixed ration silages associated with G. sepium and S. obtusifolia can be recommended based on their fermentation and nutritional value.

In this study, four experimental treatments were evaluated: (T1) alfalfa hay + concentrate, (50:50%, DM); (T2) alfalfa hay + Leucaena leucocephala + concentrate, (30:20:50%, DM); (T3) alfalfa hay + prickly pear + concentrate, (30:20:50%, DM); and (T4) alfalfa hay + Leucaena leucocephala + prickly pear + concentrate, (30:10:10:50%, DM). NH3-N concentrations in T2 and T4 decreased when replaced with alfalfa hay in 20 and 10%, respectively. Treatments did not affect the concentration of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) between T3 and T4 (p > 0.05), while the concentrations among T1 and T2 were different (p < 0.05). T2 showed a reduction of 25.5% in the methane production when compared to T1 (p < 0.05). The lowest concentrations of protozoa were observed in T2 and T4, which contained Leucaena leucocephala (T2) and Leucaena leucocephala + prickly pear (T4) (p < 0.05). The highest concentration of total methanogens was recorded in T1 and was different in T2, T3, and T4 (p < 0.05). Leucaena leucocephala, at an inclusion percentage of 20%, decreased the methane when compared to T1, whereas prickly pear increased methane production in relation to T1.

The present study investigated the use of a biosorbent produced from Leucaena leucocephala pods for the removal of metformin from aqueous solutions. The pods were subjected to chemical and thermal treatments and were referred to as L. leucocephala modified, which was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters investigated in the sorption process were temperature, contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, and initial metformin concentration. The experimental data were in accordance with the Langmuir isothermal model. The maximum adsorption capacity reached was 56.18 mg g−1 at 313 K. In the kinetic study, stability was achieved in 300 min, with 53.24% removal, and the pseudo-first-order model agreed well with the experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters indicated a spontaneous, favorable, and exothermic reaction. The presence of NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 negatively affected metformin adsorption. Thus, the importance of the study was that a developed material showed promising results in the removal of metformin, particularly because it is an innovative material, and there are no studies in the literature on drug removal using L. leucocephala.

Prosopis juliflora is an invasive plant species rapidly expanding in the Asian and African continents. The invasion of P. juliflora in Bundala Ramsar Wetland (BRW) in Sri Lanka has created several biodiversity conservation issues. This study was conducted to assess the possibility of utilizing invasive P. juliflora as an alternative energy source. P. juliflora performed better than L. leucocephala for most evaluated fuelwood properties. Ash content was comparatively higher in P. juliflora than L. leucocephala. However, biomass to ash ratio of P. juliflora was significantly lower (

More than 200 root-nodule bacterial strains were isolated from Leucaena leucocephala growing at 42 sampling sites across 12 states and three union territories of India. Genetic diversity was observed among 114 strains from various climatic zones; based on recA , these were identified as strains of Ensifer , Mesorhizobium , Rhizobium , and Bradyrhizobium. In multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) strains clustered into several novel clades and lineages. Ensifer were predominant nodulating genotype isolated from majority of alkaline soils, while Mesorhizobium and Rhizobium strains were isolated from a limited sampling in North-Eastern states with acidic soils. Positive nodulation assays of selected Ensifer representing different genetic combinations of housekeeping and sym genes suggested their broad host range within the closely related mimosoid genera Vachellia , Senegalia , Mimosa , and Prosopis. Leucaena selected diverse strains of Ensifer and Mesorhizobium as symbionts depending on available soil pH, climatic, and other edaphic conditions in India. Lateral gene transfer seems to play a major role in genetic diversification of Ensifer exhibited in terms of Old World vs. Neotropical genetic make-up and mixed populations at several sites. Although Neotropical Ensifer strains were most symbiotically effective on Leucaena , the native Ensifer are promiscuous and particularly well-adapted to a wide range of sampling sites with varied climates and edaphic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four types of biochars were prepared from rice husk as farm waste, sugarcane bagasse as sugar cane juice store waste, residues of Leucaena leucocephala tree as horticulture waste and chicken manure as chicken farm reduce at 700οC, then evaluated as a alternative to control Tribolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Oryzaephlius surinamensis and Sitophilus oryzae. The character of each type has been defined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to identify the elemental composition and functional groups distributed on biochars surface. The elemental compositions refer to the chicken manure biochar exhibited a decrease in Carbon concentration and increase Oxygen content; there is a negative correlation between C and O contents. On the other hand, the chicken manure biochar is the only tested biochar that contains Ca, P, and Cl. The chicken manure biochar has the largest number of functional groups on its surface, the mortality of insects was recorded after 10 days which showed that the chicken manure biochar was the most effective which contains more different elements and functional groups on its surface. The most affected insects were O.surinamensis and R. dominica with mortality percentages 86.66 and 73.33. Smaller particles of chicken manure biochar were more effective than larger particles against both R. dominica and O. surinamensis, the smaller particles (1.80—0.94 µm) recorded LC50 1.29 and 0.56 g/kg against R. dominica and O. surinamensis. SEM images for the affected insects showed the adhesion of biochar particles on insect's body parts, also, the sensilla were disappeared as a result of the friction between biochar particles and insect cuticle. Our results may indicate the promising features of biochar as an alternative method to control some stored product insects with considering the source of biochar which affect its elemental and functional groups contents. Biochar had different efficacy depending upon its moisture contents, with increased moisture the toxicity of biochar decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of agricultural practices such as fertilization and intercropping can improve the production of forage cacti. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of forage cactus intercropped with leguminous trees and fertilized with different sources of manure in the tropical semiarid region of Brazil. The research was carried out at the Agricultural and Livestock Research Enterprise of Pernambuco State during the period from March 2011 to September 2013. The following cultivation systems were used: (i) Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth + forage cactus cv. IPA-Sertania [Opuntia cochenillifera (L.) Mill]; (ii) Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit + forage cactus; and (iii) forage cactus in monoculture. All of these systems were fertilized with different sources of manure (cattle, goat, sheep, and broiler litter). The goat and sheep manure (16.6 and 16.5 Mg DM ha−1 year−1) provided the least production of cactus in the different cropping systems. Cattle manure provided greater production of forage and wood from legumes (1.4 and 4.3 Mg DM ha−1 year−1) and cactus (20.9 Mg DM ha−1 year−1). Gliricidia produced more forage and wood than Leucaena. Total production of the forage cactus-Gliricidia system produced 4.7 and 3.8 Mg DM ha−1 of biomass and wood in two years, respectively. The production and morphological characteristics of the cactus increased at further distance from the trees (3 m), and the opposite effect was observed for the concentrations of N, p, and K. Thus, cropping systems using forage cactus and tree legumes fertilized with manure represent an option for tropical semiarid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new, safe, and effective methods of managing fungal pathogens is required. This study was conducted to perform an initial in vitro assessment of the antifungal activity of water-based plant extracts from three plants which are invasive in Egypt: Prosopis juliflora, Ipomoea carnea, and Leucaena leucocephala. These extracts were tested against three pathogenic fungi species that cause high crop losses in Egypt: Fusarium solani, Alternaria solani, and Colletotrichum circinans. Three extract concentrations, 10%, 20%, and 30%, were tested using a completely randomized design, with three replicates per treatment. Antifungal activity was determined based on the effects of plant extracts on fungal radial growth inhibition, average daily growth of fungi, spore formation, spore germination, and total biomass. Inhibition of the growth of fungal strains increased with increasing plant extract concentration, with the highest inhibitory rate at the 30% extract concentration. In addition, spore density, spore germination, and total biomass decreased significantly with increasing extract concentration. The three fungal pathogens differed in their inhibition and their response to these plant extracts. Prosopis juliflora had the highest inhibitory effect on the three fungal pathogens, compared to the extracts from the other two invasive plants. The results of this feasibility study indicate that P. juliflora extracts have high antifungal activity and follow-up in vivo assays should be conducted to determine their efficacy in the safe and sustainable management of these and other fungal pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation is an efficient technique for the reclamation of salt-affected soils by growing plants. The present study aims to evaluate the intercropping of halophyte Atriplex nummularia Lindl. with naturally occurring species (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth, Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit and Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) adapted to semiarid regions as a management capable of enhancing the phytoremediation capacity of these species. A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block and contained four replicates. Species were cultivated alone and in association with A. nummularia to evaluate their potential uses in the reclamation of soils. Exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+, as well as salinity and sodicity variables, were evaluated. The evaluations were performed at 9 and 18 months of plant growth. The results indicated that A. nummularia individualized was the treatment most efficient; with reductions of 80%, 63%, and 84% in electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, and exchangeable sodium percentage values, respectively at 18 months compared to starting of the experiment. However, the use of A. nummularia and species adapted to the semiarid in association, or even alone, promoted beneficial effects on the soil quality after the establishment of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]