Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
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Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory effect of Phellodendron amurense Rupr. stem bark extract
Get PDFIn many diseases inflammation and oxidative stress coexist and are therapeutic targets. Phellodendron amurense Rupr. has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but the mechanisms are not completely elucidated. Therefore, first P. amurense stem bark extract was analysed regarding chemical compounds such as total polyphenol content (TPC), polyphenols (gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid) and alkaloids (berbamine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, and berberine). Quantitative determination of alkaloids revealed that berberine had the highest concentration of 2.44±0.22 mg/g. In vitro antioxidant activity was significant. Then, thein vivo anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of P. amurense extract were studied before and after acute experimental rat inflammation induction in order to find some mechanisms of these effects. The P. amurense stem bark extract had a good anti-inflammatory activity by reducing nitric oxide, 3-nitrotyrosine and NF-kB, and an antioxidant activity by lowering oxidants and increasing antioxidants. This study provides scientific knowledge and could contribute to the development of novel drugs based on P. amurense stem bark extract for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and prevention of oxidative stress
Worldwide cotton production and trade during COVID-19 pandemic: An empirical analysis for a three-year observation
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant impact on agriculture. Due to its importance in world trade and human life, the effects of the pandemic on the cotton economy were evaluated by using the data of important organizations such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the World Trade Organization, and International Cotton Advisory Committee in this study. With the Chow test, which measures of structural breaks, the effects of COVID-19 on cotton production and trade were examined. According to the Chow test results, the pandemic had no significant effect on cotton production, exports and imports in the People’s Republic of China and Türkiye, while being highly influential on cotton production and exports in the U.S. and Brazil. Distinctively, in Pakistan, it had a significant impact on cotton production and import. It was observed that although the demand, trade and prices for cotton were descended, the cotton prices started to recover with the increase in demand in the third quarter of 2020. In June 2022, the highest peak in cotton prices was observed. As a conclusion, it is shown that cotton production and trade during the pandemic were affected in all countries except People’s Republic of China and Türkiye. However, the marks of the effects of factors such as decreasing stocks, uncertainties in national economies, high inflation and increase in production costs on the cotton economy will be better understood in the coming years
Potential impact of iron oxide conjugated nano-fertilizer on growth, flowering and isozyme expression in Gardenia jasminoides
Get PDFNano-fertilizers protect the soil from the excessive addition of traditional fertilizers, enhancing the efficiency of the elements and diminishing the number of additive fertilizers. The effect of Fe2O3NPs-Boron (Fe2O3NPs-B), and Fe2O3 NP-Humic Acid (Fe2O3NPs-HA) at 100, 150 and 250 ppm, Fe2O3, and control (without any iron fertilizers) on the vegetative growth, flowering, photosynthetic pigments, nutrient element content and isozymes activity (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and polyphenol oxide) of Gardenia jasminoides plants was investigated. Gamma-rays at 25 kGy were conducted for the promising synthesis of Fe2O3NPs-B, and Fe2O3NPs-HA. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions during two successive seasons. The results stated that Fe2O3NPs-B and Fe2O3NPs-HA at the highest concentration (250 ppm) had a significant positive effect in all vegetative characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, nutrient element content and isozymes activity. Fe2O3NPs-HA showed the optimal result in all morphological and biochemical characteristics. The highest activity of enzymes appeared in the treated plants with Fe2O3 NPs-B followed by Fe2O3 NPs-HA at 250 ppm. The advantage nano-fertilizer usage may be summarized as saving the soil from the unreasonable accumulation of classic fertilizers, improving the use efficiency of parts and reducing the number of different fertilizers as a consequence of their increased surface area and their nano-size
Are D and Rec strains of Plum pox virus similar or different in terms of competitiveness and symptomatology?
Get PDFPlum pox virus (PPV) is considered the most detrimental viral pathogen of stone fruits, causing important economic losses. Exhaustive studies revealed that D, M and Rec are the prevalent strains of PPV in Europe. While different experimental reports revealed that PPV-M is more aggressive than PPV-D, limited information is available about the competitiveness of PPV-Rec under field conditions. Also, symptoms developed by PPV-Rec infection are scarcely documented. To increase this knowledge, we selected and monitored an experimental plum orchard already contaminated by both PPV-D and PPV-Rec. The disease spread was monitored by visual observation and ELISA testing each year along five consecutive vegetative periods. The dynamic of single and mixed infections was assessed by molecular strain typing (IC-RT-PCR) of all newly and single-infected trees. While the disease prevalence increased almost linearly, the number of single PPV infected trees (either by PPV-Rec or by PPV-D) remained relatively stable during the five-year period of monitoring, which is explainable by the continual increase of the number of trees infected with both strains together. No significant difference in the progression rate between D and Rec strains was found when considering their presence in both single and mixed infections. Although the types of PPV symptoms developed on leaves and fruits varied among cultivars, no clear-cut D or Rec strain-specific symptoms were developed within the same cultivar. Overall results revealed that PPV-D and PPV-Rec strains had similar behaviour in terms of competitiveness and symptoms developed under our experimental field conditions
Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and metabolism of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) under salt stress
Get PDFPerennial ryegrass is considered an excellent cold-season turfgrass, and salinity is an important environmental factor that affects its growth. Many studies have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can alleviate stress responses in plants, but there have been few reports on the promotion of turfgrass growth in saline-alkali land by AM fungi. We designed an experiment to investigate the effects of different saline conditions (0%, 0.05%, 0.1% salt, w/w) on the growth and physiological metabolism of perennial ryegrass. The results showed that under 0.05% salt stress, AM fungi increased the plant height by 25.9%, the aboveground and underground dry weight by 37.1% and 55.6%, respectively; and the content of chlorophyll a in the plants by 31.0%. Inoculation with AM fungi increased the net photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and stomatal conductance (Gs) of perennial ryegrass, and the increase in their levels negatively correlated with increasing salt concentrations. Under 0.1% salt stress, the A, Ci, Gs, and E of perennial ryegrass inoculated with AM fungi increased by 24.6%, 23.2%, 139.1%, and 40.7%, respectively. However, inoculation with AM fungi reduced Fv/Fm and had no significant impacts on the SOD activity, MDA, proline (Pro) content, soluble sugar content, and soluble protein content of perennial ryegrass. In conclusion, AM fungi can promote the growth of perennial ryegrass under salt stress, enhance its photosynthetic capacity, and improve the ability of perennial ryegrass to resist salt stress
Biofortification with magnesium nanofertilizer on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in green beans
Get PDFThe use of nanofertilizers has the potential to be used to enrich edible organs with nutrients (biofortification) and improve the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biofortification with magnesium (Mg) nanofertilizer on the accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in green bean cv. Strike compared to a conventional fertilizer (Mg sulfate). Two sources of Mg were applied via foliar: Nanofertilizer and Mg Sulfate at doses of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L of Mg. The accumulation of total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacity was evaluated in pods. The results obtained in this research confirm the effect of green bean pods biofortified with Mg nanofertilizers on the production and accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity, improving the nutrition and nutraceutical quality of green beans. The 50 mg/L dose of Mg nanofertilizer was the most effective treatment to increase bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity compared to high doses of Mg sulfate (300 mg/L). This is one of the first studies focused on biofortification with Mg nanofertilizers and their effect on the nutraceutical quality of green beans
The effect of storage conditions on some tomato varieties, during the postharvest period
Get PDFIn this study, an analysis was made of how the variety and storage conditions influence the keeping of tomatoes in the fresh conditions, in the post-harvest period. The fruits of three varieties of tomatoes were stored in different technological conditions: at ambient temperature (20-22 °C), with and without air ionization; at a temperature of 10-12 °C, with and without modified atmosphere; and at a temperature of 3-5 °C. The firmness of the pulp and some biochemical components were analysed, respectively the soluble dry matter, the total sugar, the acidity and vitamin C. For the studied varieties the mass losses were appreciated and losses due to rotten during the analysed period. The observations made during the storage of tomatoes in different conditions confirmed that, in general, tomatoes are relatively easily alterable products, the storage period being between 5 days and 15 days. The experimental research carried out showed the fact that the fresh storage time of tomatoes varies significantly depending on the storage conditions but also depending on the tomato variety investigated. The main problem was represented by the large volume of losses due to rotting recorded in one of the varieties regardless of the storage conditions and also the very large differences in losses due to rotting existing between the varieties within the same storage conditions
Iodine application in Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ improve bioactive compounds and enzymatic activity in berries
Get PDFIodine (I) deficiency disorders represent a worldwide public health problem, with at least 1.9 million people estimated to have an unsatisfactory intake of this trace element. I content in plant foods is particularly low; however, it can be improved by biofortification. In this study, the effect of foliar fertilization with I (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 mg L-1) on yield, bioactive compound content, and bioaccumulation in grapevine berries was evaluated. Biofortification with I has positively modified yield, bioactive compound content and bioaccumulation. Intermediate doses (0.75 mg L-1) increased yield (57%), while high doses (1.25 mg L-1) decreased yield (28%) and incremented the phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, anthocyanin (50,34,31,71,26% respectively), catalase (73%) and peroxidase activity (57%), and their bioaccumulation in berries (59%). Agronomic biofortification with I is an alternative to increase yield, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as the concentration of this trace element in grape berries
Cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects of Streblus asper from northeastern Thailand on A549 lung cancer cells
Get PDFThailand's second-leading cause of death is lung cancer. Thai indigenous herbal plants are sought after as an alternative treatment against lung cancer. This work aimed to examine cytotoxic, antiproliferative and antimigratory capacities of different parts of Streblus asper (SA) from northeastern Thailand on A549 lung cancer cells. Plant leaves, twigs, bark and wood were used for ethanolic extraction by maceration. The highest cytotoxicity of 85.46% was found in twig extract (IC50 57.46 µg/mL) assessed by an MTT assay. The lowest IC50 (18.42 µg/mL) was also found in twig extract using a clonogenic assay indicating its most antiproliferative activity in a long-term therapy. In addition, all SA extracts displayed antimigratory activity against A549 cells in a dose-dependent fashion, especially twig extract. Apoptotic characteristics were noticeable in SA extract treated cells. The maximum DPPH-scavenging activity, FRAP value, total phenolic and flavonoid content were found in twig extract. GC-MS analysis revealed that twig extract contained four prominent components namely ethyl-α-D-glucopyranoside, hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester, lupeol and γ-sitosterol. Real-time PCR results showed that genes (Bcl-2, Bax, p21, and cytochrome c) linked to apoptosis were significantly affected by all SA extracts. The various SA components' ethanolic extracts exhibited moderate-to-high cytotoxic action towards A549 cells. This work will significantly advance the utilization of the plant as an alternative source of medicine for rural Thais, and it paves the way for future research to determine the active compound(s) and anticipate new drug candidates
The impact of different methods of drying and preparation method on the basic chemical composition of hay
Get PDFThe paper presents the results of three different ways of storing the dried mass of hay: bulk, small bales and large roll bales, as well as the impact of three drying methods: natural in the field, artificial drying with cold air and drying with dehumidification (warm air). In the tested meadow in the first swath, the results of chemical analyses showed differences in the method of drying hay. Regarding the tested drying method, the content of dry matter (DM) had significant differences between the storage methods as well as all variants with pre-heated air drying, where the average value of DM was in the interval of 86.18-93.01%. The content of mineral substances for certain methods of preparation and drying ranged from 5.77% to 7.72% on average. The highest content of crude proteins was in all variants of artificial drying and it ranged from 98.6 to 165.7 g/kg DM and had a statistically significant difference. Both methods of artificial post-drying had a significant impact on the cellulose content (33.76% to 28.86%) compared to drying in the traditional way because postponing the mowing time increases the cellulose content. The drying method had a statistically high significant difference on the content of neutral detergent fibres (NDF) and acidic detergent fibres (ADF), while the method of storage had no major impact. Knowledge of changes in the quality of hay during the growing season is of particular importance form the aspect of ruminant nutrition and balanced rations. The amount and quality of obtained hay is significantly affected by the time of mowing, height of mowing, swath, fertilization, floristic composition and weather conditions during drying of the green mass