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Phytochemical composition and biological activities of Dorcoceras uthongensis (Gesneriaceae) - A new species from the limestone karst of Suphan Buri, Thailand
Full text linkDorcoceras uthongensis, a new species of the genus Dorcoceras Bunge, is described. This new species is endemic to Uthong district, Suphan Buri province, Thailand, and differs from the other species by exhibiting capitate glandular hairs with globose unicellular head on the abaxial surface of the leaf. Additionally, it is classified as an endangered species (EN) according to IUCN criteria. The phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 confirmed its placement within Dorcoceras. Moreover, we sought to explore the potential biological activities of the crude extract of this new species. We evaluated the aqueous extract of leaves which revealed antioxidant activity and no cytotoxicity indicating potential safety for further research and utilization. To examine the phytochemical composition, we performed an analysis using LC-MS/MS-QTOF. The result revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and terpenes
Genetic analyses of advanced breeding lines of rice for yield-attributing traits and salinity stress tolerance
Full text linkThe development of advanced rice breeding lines and their evaluation for yield-attributes and salinity stress tolerance offers a significant opportunity to identify high-yielding salt-tolerant genotypes exhibiting desired traits. The present study aimed to examine the morpho-genetic variability of thirty-six advanced breeding lines of rice, with a focus on features that contribute to yield and salinity stress tolerance. Three replications of a randomized complete block design were used in the first experiment. Significant variability was observed among the lines for the studied quantitative traits. Based on yield attributing traits, the advanced breeding lines viz., Line 10, Line 21, Line 22, Line 23, Line 24 and Line 25 showed better performances in terms of earliness and yield. In yield-related variables such as the number of effective tillers per plant, plant height, and grain yield per plant exhibited high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean. The results of PCA biplot showed that the PC1 and PC2 accounted for the greatest variability of advanced Line 10, Line 11, Line 18, Line 21, Line 22, Line 23, Line 24, Line 25, Nerica 10, Begunipata, and Binadhan-14 with significant influence of the studied traits. Cluster analysis reflected that the high-yielding genotypes were placed in cluster II and VI. Highest genetic distance was observed among the genotypes of cluster III and cluster VI. In the second experiment, four advanced breeding lines along with salt tolerant and susceptible checks were assessed for salinity tolerance at the reproductive stage. The plants were cultivated in a large plastic-tub filled with field soil. During the late booting stage, saline (EC=10 dS/m) irrigation water was applied to the plants and continued for three weeks. While Lines 10 and 12 demonstrated a reduced decline, salt stress caused a significant loss in yield and yield-attributing characteristics in all genotypes. Line 10 and Line 12 which showed a reasonable degree of salt tolerance as well as early maturity were placed in the respective quadrant of the biplot. Stress tolerance indices also reflecting the better salt tolerance phenomena of the advanced Line 10 and Line 12. Considering all of the traits, Line 10 and Line12 could be selected as desired advanced rice lines for the development of early, high-yielding and salt tolerant rice varieties
Phenolic profile, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of Telephium imperati L.
Full text linkTelephium imperati L. is one of the most valuable spices used by Algerians for food and different medicinal purposes. Here, we report the main phenolic compounds of T. imperati that grows in arid regions and its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. The phenolic profiles of methanolic and aqueous extracts of T. imperati roots was obtained using HPLC-DAD, whereas antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), potassium ferricyanide, and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) assays. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory activity was investigated by measuring the level of protection of the human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane against hypotonicity-induced lysis. The anticancer activity was evaluated using the MTT assay against three human cancer cell lines (HT-29, PC-3, A-549) and one non-tumorigenic (CCD18-Co) cells. Our results showed that the methanolic extract was rich in phenols (493.17±0.0 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (271.56±0.1 mg QE/g), and tannins (106.50±2.3 mg CE/g). The HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that caffeic acid (78.61 mg/g), ferulic acid (49.12 mg/g), rosmarinic acid (42.80 mg/g), coumarin (39.87 mg/g), rutin (37.68 mg/g), myricetin (25.62 mg/g), syringic acid (18.90 mg/g), and quercetin (18.65 mg/g) were mainly present in T. imperati extracts. Although the DPPH assay showed slight antioxidant activity for both extracts, the methanolic extract exhibited significant potent anti-inflammatory action in all in vitro tests, protecting HRBC damage and BSA denaturation at rates of 80.18 and 97.62%, respectively. Likewise, the methanolic extract exhibited an important anticancer activity against the HT-29 and A-549 cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 1.85 to 2.00 log10 μg/mL. Interestingly, no toxic effects on CCD18-Co were observed. Therefore, the present study revealed that T. imperati root extracts are rich in phenolic compounds and could be a promising source of anti-inflammatory and anticancer molecules
Ceratocystis fimbriata on Brown Salwood (Acacia Mangium) in Banyuasin, Indonesia
Full text linkAcacia mangium in Banyuasin commonly grows in plantations and along roadsides as a shade plant. Generally, this plant is also useful as a material for making household furniture, firewood, and paper pulp. Since 2022, numerous reports of these plants wilting and dying suddenly, have drawn significant attention in the plantations. Our study recorded that the presence of cankers on the stems, lesions on the sapwood, blackened vascular tissue, discoloration of leaves, wilting of the canopy, and massive tree mortality characterize this disease. Based on the morphological characteristics and sequencing of the ITS and β-tubulin genes, the pathogen causing canker and wilt disease in A. mangium in Banyuasin has been confirmed as Ceratocystis fimbriata. The pathogen strain exhibits strong pathogenicity on A. mangium seedlings during inoculation tests in nurseries. Host range tests showed that the isolate can also thrive on Acacia crassicarpa and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). Therefore, it is crucial to identify appropriate management solutions to minimize damage to A. mangium plants
Molecular characterization of diosgenin biosynthesis in different organs of Trigonella foenum-graecum L.
Full text linkFenugreek, an annual herb, is a significant source of diosgenin, a triterpene with bioactive properties. This study aimed to molecularly characterize diosgenin biosynthesis in various organs of fenugreek, including flowers, immature leaves, developing leaves, mature leaves, stems, roots, and pods. The biosynthetic pathway involves vital enzymes such as squalene synthase, squalene monooxygenase, cycloartenol synthase, and Sterol-3-ß-glucosyl transferase. The study found that flowers and roots exhibited the highest gene expression levels, indicating their potential significance in diosgenin biosynthesis. Diosgenin content was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography, with seeds being the primary source. The findings suggest that fenugreek offers a cost-effective and rapid alternative to yam for diosgenin production, and the differential accumulation of diosgenin in different plant organs underscores the importance of understanding organ-specific biosynthesis. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into fenugreek’s potential as a bioresource for diosgenin and its diverse applications in medicine and agriculture
Effect of vermicompost enriched with bacterial endophytes (Azospirillum and Rhizobium) on growth and yield of tomato
Full text linkThe extensive use of chemical fertilizers has served as a response to the increasing need for crop production in recent decades. While it addresses the demand for food, it has resulted in a decline in crop productivity and a heightened negative environmental impact. In contrast, bacterial endophytes namely Azospirillum and Rhizobium and vermicompost offer a promising alternative to mitigate the negative consequences of chemical fertilizers. It can enhance nutrient availability, promote plant growth, and improve nutrient uptake efficiency, thereby reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. In this study, two bacterial endophytes Azospirillum and Rhizobium, combination with vermicompost and chemical fertilizer were used to investigate their potential role in the enhancement of growth yields of tomato. The inoculation of bacterial endophytes enhanced the root and shoot length, biomass and leaf chlorophyll contents. The fruit weight of the tomato (kg/plant) was also higher in the vermicompost and bacteria inoculated plants of tomato than in the chemical fertilizer. The mixed application of vermicompost with the combination of Azospirillum and Rhizobium showed the best performance compared to other treatments
Calibration and validation of APSIM-Wheat Model in Mediterranean areas
Full text linkThe Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator-Wheat (APSIM-Wheat) model is one of the most widely used agricultural models. It is a powerful simulator that has been successfully calibrated and tested for many locations in the world, especially in Western Australia (WA). However, there is a noticeable lack of a standard guide for realizing the calibration validation of APSIM-Wheat that could be applied in areas with a Mediterranean climate similar to that of WA. Therefore, this study aims to examine crop simulations reported in published articles and to provide a detailed description of input data and statistical assessment, which represent the two main components of the calibration-validation protocols. The PRISMA (PREFERRED Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method was used to identify and select relevant papers for this review. Following the analysis of 31 calibration protocols extracted from selected eligible articles, it was found that regardless of the objective of using APSIM-Wheat, the same category of data is required for calibration. As far as meteorological data is concerned, the information essential to this study was daily maximum and minimum air temperatures, rainfall (mm), and solar radiation. In the case of soil data, information about the texture and hydraulic characteristics, especially PAWC, DUL and LL was required. Regarding agricultural management data, this pertains to cultivated crops, Nitrogen fertilization (rate and time of application) and sowing (date and density). For the statistical evaluation, it was observed that 90 percent of studies analyzed in this review revealed the use of RMSE
Evaluation of antimicrobial and anticancer efficacy of silver nanoparticles phytofabricated by Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. leaf extract
Full text linkNyctanthes arbor-tristis L. (Oleaceae), commonly known as harsingar, is a plant with potential medicinal properties. The plant was used in traditional folk medicine and as a pharmacological activity. The present study reports a rapid and eco-accommodating technique to synthesize silver nanoparticles AgNPs with low cost and with no need to heat, using aqueous extracts of N. arbor-tristis L. Phytochemical analysis was conducted to detect the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saturated sugar, saponins, glycosides, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, and proteins in the plant. A color change observed in the test confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs. SEM, XRD, EDX, FTIR, and UV – Visible spectrophotometer (DLS) were used to characterize the synthesized AgNPs. The antibacterial potential of AgNPs was further tested against different bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia displayed by finding the maximum zone of inhibition observed against S. typhi of 24.6 mm, S. aureus 21.6±0.57 mm, P. aeruginosa 19 mm, K. pneumonia 17 mm and E. coli 15.3±0.57 mm. Furthermore, the synthesized AgNPs were also exhibited as anticancer properties against MDA-231 cell line Human Breast cancer cell line which was determined dose dependent manner and their concentration of 2.5 to 30 μg/mL respectively, and noted the inhibitory range at 30 μg/mL of its concentration, which was further tested in high inhibitory effect on their leaf extract high concentration in cytotoxic, bactericidal experiments
Insights into ancient ceramic technology: a comprehensive analysis of mineralogy, chemistry and firing conditions
Full text linkThe intensive integration of Azerbaijan into the global economy, mainly through international gas and oil pipeline construction, has led to significant archaeological research in the past two decades. The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (BTC) and the Southern Caucasus Pipeline gas pipeline (SCP) prompted a four-year archaeological fieldwork program, followed by a six-year post-excavation program. The current work applied an interdisciplinary approach using various instrumental methods for studying ancient artifacts found during those projects. The thermogravimetric method and differential thermal analysis were employed to obtain insights into the production technology of the ancient pottery and information about the mineralogy of the ceramic sherds. The complex processes involved in firing the ceramic paste have been studied extensively, and patterns in mass loss ratios during different temperature ranges have been established. In total, 15 samples were investigated, and the thermogravimetric analysis of ceramic shards revealed that the firing temperature of the samples was in the range of 700 °C. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of quartz, feldspar, and clay minerals in the ceramic samples. The presence of calcite and other specific minerals is subject to the origin of the ceramic materials. The results obtained from this multidisciplinary approach provide insights into the firing technology and the origin of the ceramic samples
Qualitative and quantitative metabolomics of Pamburus missionis Swingle – a medicinal tree taxon
Full text linkSince ancient times, Plant based medicine is a well-known oldest form of healthcare to mankind. Even the commercial medications used for the treatment of various ailments today, contains a large proportion of plant derived chemical compounds. Hence chemical profiling of medicinal plants gained a key role to use them in pharmaceuticals as well as commercial industries. Pamburus missionis is one of the medicinal plants used in the Indian and Srilankan traditional medicine system to reduce kapha dosha. The ayurvedic physicians used its leaves to treat swelling, piles, fractures, fistula, puerperal diseases and as serpent venom. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to reveal the phytocompounds from various parts of this plant. Metabolomics revealed the presence of primary and secondary metabolites like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, steroids etc. From the aqueous extract, Alkaloid content is almost same in leaf, stem and bark extracts with around 1.2 to 1.3 g (w/v%) and completely absent in the fruit. Phenolic content and steroids are notably high in leaf extract with 112.77±0.34 mg/g of extract and 17.91±0.26 mg respectively, where the flavonoid content in fruit extract with 44.69±0.30 mg/g of extract and the tannin content in bark extract with 62.37±1.75 mg/g of extract