Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
Not a member yet
2546 research outputs found
Sort by
Physiological responses of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants to biochar application under water deficit conditions
Get PDFWater deficit is one of the main abiotic stressors in crop production. The development of strategies to improve plant tolerance to water deficits has gained importance. Biochar application can be considered an alternative to mitigate abiotic stress. The use of coffee pulp to produce biochar could be a novel strategy for improving drought tolerance in coffee crops. Coffer plants cv. ‘Castillo’ were grown in pots or PVC pipes filled with silt loam soil in two separate experiments to evaluate the effect of coffee pulp biochar application on physiological responses under water deficit conditions. Four different biochar doses (0, 4, 8, and 16 t · ha-1) were used. A water deficit was imposed through progressive reduction irrigation (25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% of water lost via evapotranspiration). The leaf gas exchange, maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), biomass, and water status were measured. Reduced irrigation negatively affected the Fv/Fm, leaf gas exchange, biomass, and water status. Biochar (8 t ha-1) increased photosynthesis in both well-irrigated plants (6 µmol m-2 s-1) and with reduced irrigation (3.5 µmol m-2 s-1) compared to 0 t ha-1 biochar (reduced irrigation: 1.8 µmol m-2 s-1 and well irrigated: 3.9 µmol m-2 s-1). In conclusion, 8 t ha-1 biochar can be a recommended practice for coffee production, not only to capture carbon and reintroduce it to the soil, but also to alleviate the effects of moderate water deficit. In future investigations, biochar application can be evaluated as an alternative to soil management or coffee plant nutrition, and its interaction with drought stress scenarios
Evaluation of anticancer activity of Plumbago indica root extract on cervical HeLa cancer cells
Get PDFPlumbago indica L. has a various pharmacological activity; however, the anticancer activity in cervical cancer has less information. To examine the antiproliferative, apoptotic, and antimigratory activity of Plumbago indica root extract on cervical cancer cells. The extract of P. indica was explored for cell viability, apoptosis, and migration by sulforhodamine B, colony formation, cell cycle distribution, Wound healing, Annexin V-FITC staining apoptotic, mitochondrial function, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. The data indicated that P. indica extract suppressed HeLa cervical cells viability by dose- and time-dependent manner along with the reduction of cancer cell number and colony forming ability. After 48 h of incubation period, the PR extract exhibited a significant reduction of migratory ability by dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, these extracts significantly showed a reduction of cell viability along with induction of late apoptosis. The mechanism of action was shown by detecting mitochondrial dysfunction and activating of ROS formation on HeLa cells-treated with P. indica extract. The extract of P. indica has a growth inhibition, migratory suppression, and apoptotic induction. The extract has an anticancer activity by reducing mitochondrial function and activating ROS formation
Heat treatment effect on tocopherols, total phenolics and fatty acids in table olives (Olea europaea L.)
Get PDFThe olive fruits are rich source of oil, vitamins, minerals, organic acids and pigments. The fruits contain high level of bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of heat treatment on tocopherols, total phenolics and antioxidant activity in green and black olives, as well as their fatty acid composition. The instrumental methods used in this experiment were high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and spectrophotometric methods. The results revealed that the β+γ-tocopherols content after the heat treatment had the biggest reduction, which was 68.4% for green and 80.2% for black olives. Also, a significant loss of total phenolic content was observed after heat treatment in green and black olives by 18.6% and 18.4%, respectively, as well as antioxidant activity (decrease up to 28.1%). The most abundant fatty acids in green and black olives were oleic (C18:1), palmitic (C16:0) and linoleic acid (C18:2). The changes in fatty acids composition during the heat treatment occurred mostly at the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linolenic acid (C18:3) in black olives had the significant reduction (by 57.4%) in relation to the initial quantity
UV-C treatments extend the postharvest quality of ‘0900 Ziraat’ sweet cherries by protecting the physical and biochemical features of the fruits during the storage
Get PDFSustainable practices to extend the postharvest quality of horticultural products lead to cost-effective marketing during the prolonged season. Sweet cherries are among the most commonly consumed and traded fruits worldwide although they necessarily deteriorate after harvest. In the present study, the effects of UV-C irradiation in different application durations along with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on quality maintenance of the ‘0900 Ziraat’ sweet cherries were investigated for two years (2018 and 2019). The fruits were divided into six application groups; (1) storage in plastic cups control, (2) using MAP (Xtend®) packages, (3) 5 min UV-C exposure, (4) 10 min UV-C, (5) 20 min UV-C, and (6) 30 min UV-C irradiation. Treatment of UV-C was performed at a 15 cm distance using a metal cabinet equipped with 8 UV-C lamps of 15 watts, 230V/50Hz at 254 nm wavelength. The sweet cherries were stored at 1 °C and 90% RH for 35 days. At the end of the storage, the greatest weight loss occurred in the control fruits, while the lowest loss was obtained from the fruits subjected to 10 min of UV-C for both years. Also, 10 min of UV-C provided the highest firmness value for both years. This treatment also has better effects on maintaining several quality features such as pedicel chlorophyll content, titratable acidity in fruit juice, and total phenolic contents compared to the control fruits. General findings indicated that 10 min UV-C irradiation would be a beneficial practice for extending the general quality features of ‘0900 Ziraat’ sweet cherry during cold storage up to 35 d
Research progress of the Elongator complex in plant
Get PDFThe Elongator complex consists of six subunits (ELP1-ELP6), where ELP1-ELP3 forms the core subcomplex and ELP4-ELP6 forms the auxiliary subcomplex. Deletion of any of the six subunits results in an almost identical phenotype, suggesting that all six subunits are essential for cellular function. All six subunits are evolutionarily conserved in terms of sequence and their interactions with other subunits. The most striking features are the structural conservation of the protein complexes and the phenotypic similarity caused by loss-of-function mutations in any protein subunit. Similar to elongation factors in translation, there is a strong interaction between the Elongator complex and RNA polymerase II during transcription. The Elongator complex is also involved in a variety of cellular pathways, including histone modification/acetylation, DNA methylation, tRNA nucleoside modification, etc. Here, we summarized the functions and mechanisms of the Elongator complex in plant growth and development, molecular pathways, and gene regulation. In this way, we aimed to provide a reference for an in-depth study of the Elongator complex
Effect of silvicultural treatment of individual selection on the horizontal structure of a pine-oak forest in northern Mexico
Get PDFIn sustainable forest management it is essential to conserve and maintain biodiversity, the floristic composition and the mixture of its species. For this purpose, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the selection silvicultural treatment as a function of time, on the horizontal structure of a Pine-Oak Forest in northern Mexico. Nine sampling points were established to analyze the structure of the Initial Condition of the forest in 2012, the Recruitment of 2022 and the Final Condition of 2022. In addition, the Jaccard similarity coefficient and the Margalef wealth index were estimated. Likewise, Shannon true diversity index, the importance value index and the forest value index were calculated for each species. The analysis of variance with a confidence of 95% was used to evaluate the studied variables, multiple comparisons were made with Duncan's test to group the species in ranges of statistical importance. The results indicated that the forest not presented a change in similarity, richness and diversity of species due to the application of the selection silvicultural treatment, without statistical differences according to the mix and distribution of the species in the forest, this indicates that selective logging does not change the composition of forest species. Regarding the indices of true diversity, value of importance and forest value by species, no significant differences were observed in terms of the application of silvicultural treatment. According to these results, it was possible to identify groups of forest importance and value, where Pinus durangensis Martínez was the most representative species
Aqueous extract of coconut shell biochar as a pre-germination treatment increases seed germination and early seedling growth in chiltepín pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum)
Get PDFSince the fruit of the Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum (Dunal) Heiser and Pickergil (chiltepín pepper) has a low germination rate, we sought to determine whether using an aqueous biochar extract could improve this. Germination tests were performed out in Petri dishes, using wild chiltepín pepper seeds collected in Sonora, México, which were exposed for 24 h to aqueous extracts of coconut shell biochar (CSBA) at different doses (0.05, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00%, w/v) and a control comprising deionized water. In addition to quantifying the germination rate, we determined the physical quality, viability, imbibition, electrical conductivity, seed pH, and capsaicin content. The fast green test showed an ideal physical quality (p = 0.5475), an imbibition rate > 65% (p > 0.05), and high viability 98.4% (p > 0.05). The wild chiltepín pepper seeds exposed to the CSBA0.05 and CSBA0.25 treatments increased the percentage germination rate (p < 0.001) to 80.9% and 71.7%, respectively. A higher percentage of normal seedlings resulted from CSBA0.05, CSBA0.10 and CSBA1.00 (p < 0.01), and a greater shoot length was obtained with CSBA0.05 (p < 0.01). The exposure of wild chiltepín seeds to aqueous CSBA for 24 h at low doses (CSBA0.05 and CSBA0.25) increase the germination rate, while CSBA0.05 could enhance early seedling growth
Effect of organic calcium uptake and biostimulants during integrated nutrient management (INM) cultivation of kiwifruit cv. ‘Hayward’
Get PDFFoliar application with calcium (Ca) fertilizers improves quality and flesh firmness of kiwifruit and affects the mineral composition of leaves and fruits. The impact of preharvest foliar sprays, using a commercial fertilizer with organic Ca content in combination with an integrated nutrient management (INM) fertilizers and biostimulants was assessed for the quality properties and nutritional status of the kiwi cv. ‘Hayward’ over a 2-year period. Fruit flesh firmness increased under all organic Ca applications. In addition, all treatments resulted in elevated dry mass content, which is a common quality index. In leaves, the concentrations of N, P, K and B were higher compared to control. In fruits, the concentrations of N, B, K and Ca increased, in contrast to Mg, which was reduced. The content of Mn, Zn, Fe and Cu was not affected either in leaves or fruits. Application of organic Ca-fertilizers led to increased flesh firmness, total soluble solids, total acidity, and dry mass percentage. Foliar application with the addition of the biostimulant THEOFAST resulted in the elongation of stigmas area in kiwi cv. ‘Hayward’ fruits
Metabolome and transcriptome analyses reveal the colouring mechanism of red honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.)
Get PDFHoneysuckle has been widely used as a medicinal herb and food additive in China for a long time. However, little is known about the pigment composition and colouring mechanism of red honeysuckle, which is a rare germplasm resource. This study aims to investigate the anthocyanin components and colouring mechanism of red honeysuckle, and to identify potential regulatory genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. ‘Yujin 1’ and ‘Yujin 2’, with yellow-white and red flower buds, respectively, were selected for the study. Using a metabolomics method, we identified the anthocyanin components, while transcriptomics analysis was used to mine the structural and regulatory genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Additionally, protein-protein interaction analysis was employed to predict the regulation mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis. The results revealed that cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, peonidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were the main pigment components of red honeysuckle. We also constructed a possible anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway and identified MYB and bHLH transcription factors that may play regulatory roles in this pathway. Furthermore, our findings suggest that bHLH23 may regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis by binding to the DFR gene promoter. These findings have significant implications for breeding new honeysuckle varieties and developing functional foods and medicines
Processing waste: bioactive components and antioxidant capacity of cold-pressed oils from some fruit seeds
Get PDFIn this study, the possible use of seeds after fruit processing to obtain unconventional cold-pressed edible oil was investigated. For this purpose, seeds of quince, sour cherries and plum were used. Fatty acid composition, antioxidant activity, peroxide and acid value, oxidative stability, and tocopherols and phytosterols content were determined in the studied oils. Plum seed oil was dominated by oleic acid, while quince and sour cherry seed oils contained abundant linoleic acid. The total polyphenol content in the studied oils ranged from 2.28 to 9.03 mg GAE 100 mL-1. Antioxidant properties (ABTS, DPPH, FRP) were associated with tocopherol content. All three studied oils were rich in β-sitosterol. The oxidative stability of the studied oil samples varied and ranged from 1.92 h-31.17 h. Quince seed oil had the highest content of α-tocopherol (44.30 mg 100 g-1) and plum seed oil had the lowest (3 mg 100 g-1), while sour cherry seed oil had the highest content of β+γ-tocopherol (17.19 mg 100 g-1). The results show that oil from quince, sour cherry, and plum seeds is suitable for the production of a high quality cold-pressed oil. The use of this type of waste from fruit processing contributes to waste reduction and promotes the circular economy