Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
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A biopolymer with antimicrobial properties and plant resistance inducer against phytopathogens: Chitosan
Get PDFSome synthetic fungicides have been currently prohibited due to their adverse effects; thus, searching for alternatives to decrease their application is a priority worldwide. An alternative to the application of synthetic fungicides is chitosan -a natural biopolymer- because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. Chitosan has been used in different industries, such as cosmetology, pharmaceutics, food, among others. In agriculture, it has been used as a resistance inductor and bio-fungicide because of its antimicrobial activity and for plant development as growth promoter. Although many works have been published on chitosan for its characteristics and mode of action, the direct effects on agriculture -both in plant and fruit phytopathogens- have not been reported. Therefore, the objective of this review is to summarize recent advances and achievements of chitosan application in agriculture with special attention to its antimicrobial properties and plant defence induction mechanisms
Temperature-mediated shifts in chlorophyll biosynthesis in leaves of chlorophyll b-lacking rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Get PDFExtreme temperatures have become a threat to crop yields. To maintain plant growth and yield, chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis plays a crucial role in adaptation to temperature stress. This study investigated the influence of temperature on the biosynthesis and characteristics of pigments (Chl a, Chl b, and carotenoids) in the leaves of Chl b-lacking mutant rice (Chlorina 1, ch1) and wild-type rice (Norin No.8, wt). The ch1 showed thinner stacked grana caused by a decrease in thylakoid membranes per granum at 15 °C, whereas the destacked grana were observed at 35 °C after 12 h incubation. However, the grana are stacked normally, along with the absence of Chl b, and a significantly decreased amount of Chl a in both wt and ch1 were observed after heat stress exposure, demonstrating that light-harvesting complex II proteins are involved in grana stacking. Ch1 was sensitive to 15 °C during the first 4 h of incubation but it subsequently adapted to the cold environment. In addition, there were no significant differences in the photosynthesis between wt and ch1 after 12 h incubation at 35 °C. Differentially expressed gene (DEGs) analysis revealed that GluRS expression decreased, which resulted in a decline in Chl biosynthesis in wt and ch1 at 35 °C. At 8 h and 12 h, there were no significant differences in the expression of DEGs involved in Chl biosynthesis and degradation between wt and ch1 at 15 °C. ALAD expression in wt and ch1 at 15 °C decreased until it was undetectable. These findings suggested that ch1 may adapt to temperatures ranging from 15 °C to 35 °C
Nitrogen and potassium supplied by phenological stages affect the carotenoid and nutritive content of the tomato fruit
Get PDFThe effect of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) supply by phenological stages of horticultural crops such as tomato has been little explored so far. In this study, we evaluated the impact of N supply in the vegetative stage and K in the reproductive stage of tomato, on the carotenoid and nutritive content of fruits of three truss clusters. The concentrations of protein, lycopene, β-carotene, sugars, vitamin C and fruit juice were affected by the N and K application by phenological stages, although the N×K interaction was not significant in the last three variables. Increases in N from 10 to 16 molc m-3 of nutrient solution (NS) in the vegetative stage of the crop increased the concentrations of protein, vitamin C, sugars (temporarily) and fruit juice. Likewise, increases in potassium (5 to 13 molc m-3 NS) in the reproductive stage of the crop raised the concentrations of sugars, vitamin C, protein, lycopene, β-carotene and fruit juice. The concentration of carotenoids and the nutritional value of the tomato fruit were influenced by N and K nutrition by phenological stages, and these effects change slightly depending on the cluster harvested and the temperature during the growing cycle
Response of St John’s wort (Hypericum empetrifolium) plants to cadmium (Cd) treatment in relation to substrate acidity/alkalinity
Get PDFThe effect of cadmium (Cd) on growth and Cd accumulation in shoots and roots St John’s wort (Hypericum empetrifolium) was studied over three months in a greenhouse. Plants were cultivated in pots containing a uniform mixture of either acid or alkaline substrate consisting of peat and perlite (1:1 v/v). The pots were arranged in a completely randomized block design within two groups (acid substrate and alkaline substrate) with four Cd treatments (0-control, 1, 2, and 5 mg Cd L-1) and six replicates per treatment. Cadmium was applied as CdSO4*8/3H2O. The total amount of Cd applied per pot was 260 ml, corresponding to 0.26, 0.52, and 1.3 mg Cd per pot for doses 1, 2, and 5 mg L-1, respectively. No visual symptoms of toxicity or nutrient deficiency, as well as no differences in plant height were observed in response to Cd application, irrespective of the growth stage or substrate. There were also no differences in height development rate between the plants grown in an acidic or alkaline substrate. Cd accumulation in shoots and roots increased with increasing concentrations of applied Cd and was higher in the acidic substrate. Thus, St John’s wort plant is a Cd accumulator, especially in an acidic environment, and this in combination with its high tolerance to Cd, makes it a suitable species to remove Cd from cadmium-contaminated sites. However, for its use in the preparation of medical products, St John’s wort must be grown in a Cd-free soil so as not to pose a risk to human health. Cd extraction by (DTPA-TEA) can be employed to predict Cd accumulation in this plant
The impact of different growth media and ammonium-nitrate ratio on yield and nitrate accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia)
No full textDOI: 10.15835/nbha49412540
Ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-) ratio and growth media significantly alter plant development and NO3- accumulation in lettuce. Nitrate accumulation is regarded harmful for environment and human health. The quality of lettuce is assessed by NO3-concentration, size, and weight. This study determined the impact of five different growth media (cocopeat, peat, bark, perlite and rockwool) and four different NH4+:NO3- ratios (0:100, 20:80, 40:60 and 60:40) on NO3- accumulation in lettuce, yield, and several growth attributes. The experimentation was conducted according to open feeding system of soilless agriculture. The ‘Cosmos’ variety of lettuce was used as experimental material in the study. Growth mediums and NH4+:NO3- ratios significantly altered NO3- accumulation, head, leaf, stem and root traits. The results revealed that instead of growing lettuce with NO3- only in peat and rockwool, addition of NH4+ (20:80 of NH4+:NO3-) into nutrient solution increased head weight. While head weight increased in perlite medium with the addition of NH4+, it decreased in cocopeat and bark media. It is concluded that growth media and NH4+:NO3- ratios pose significant impacts on NO3- accumulation in leaf and that the increase in NH4+ ratio decreased NO3- accumulation in all growing media. Therefore, it is recommended that NH4+ should be added in the nutrient solution to decrease NO3- accumulation, which will ultimately improve yield and quality of lettuce
Seed priming with ZnO nanoparticles promotes early growth and bioactive compounds of Moringa oleifera
No full textDOI: 10.15835/nbha49412546
Nanotechnology has gained importance in agricultural production systems, with various applications such as pesticides or fertilizers. The application of nanomaterials (NMs) as a pretreatment to seeds (seed priming) has positively affected plant growth and development. On the other hand, Moringa oleifera is a plant appreciated for its multiple nutraceutical properties. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pretreatment of M. oleifera seeds with ZnO nanoparticles (NZnO) (0, 0.5, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 mg L-1). The study was divided into two experimental phases: the first phase consisted of evaluating germination under laboratory conditions (25 °C) at 15 DAS, while in the second phase, vegetative growth and bioactive compounds were evaluated at 45 DAS under greenhouse conditions. For phase one, the percentage of germination, length, and dry weight of the plumule and radicle were considered, and the vigor indices of seeds were determined. In phase two, we measured the plant height, stem diameter, fresh and dry biomass of aerial and root parts, and the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, vitamin C, glutathione (GSH), and antioxidant capacity (DPPH), such as the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and phenylalanine ammonium lyase (PAL). The results showed an increase in some variables related to seed germination, with an increase of between 30 and 25% in the vigor of the seeds subjected to 2.5 and 10 mg L-1 NZnO. The photosynthetic pigments resulted in increases of between 23 and 49% for the 7.5-10 mg L-1 NZnO treatments. Regarding bioactive compounds, the increase in phenols, flavonoids and vitamin C stands out, mainly at the levels of 7.5-10 mg L-1 NZnO, where increases of up to 543% were observed with respect to the control. The enzymatic activity showed different responses to the application of NZnO, where a biphasic response (hormesis) was observed on the activity of APX and CAT activities as the levels of NZnO increased. The results show that it is possible to promote the initial growth and bioactive compounds of M. oleifera by pretreatment of seeds mainly with 10 mg L-1 NZnO
Role of conventional and molecular techniques in soybean yield and quality improvement: A critical review
Get PDFThe soybean is one of the most significant legume crops around the globe and serves as a source of dietary components for humans and animals. It has a higher percentage of protein compared to any other crop. Soybean yield and quality have been affected by many environmental factors. The genetic mechanism of yield and quality is still not clearly understood. Hence there is still a need to investigate the major potent factors to shed light on the mechanism behind yield and quality traits in soybean. Recently, a lot of significant work, including novel QTL, genes, and CRISPR-based genome editing in soybeans, has been done, which opened new doors of hope. The current review has presented detailed work done previously. We have also discussed the role of different breeding techniques in the conventional way of soybean improvement. The genetic factors regulating yield, quality, and disease resistance could be further cloned and transferred into elite cultivars to attain higher output in the current situation of changing environment. The integrated use of several techniques, like CRISPR/Cas9, next-generation sequencing, omics approaches, would be a fruitful way to improve soybean yield and quality. Besides this, hybridization, mass selection, pure line selection, backcross breeding, and pedigree selection should be adopted to develop novel soybean cultivars. This review concluded that soybean yield and quality improvement could be enhanced by exploring its genetic mechanism using several molecular and conventional methods
In vitro antimicrobial, anticancer, and apoptosis-inducing effects of the methanolic extract of Launaea mucronata
Get PDFTraditional medicine is widely used in the treatment and management of various ailments due to its low toxicity, low number of side effects and low cost. Many components of common fruits and vegetables play crucial roles as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agents. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of Launaea mucronata’s methanolic stems and leaves extract. In this screening study, Launaea mucronata’s methanolic extracts showed remarkably antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The maximum zone of inhibition of the methanolic extract of Launaea mucronata leaves was detected against Proteus vulgaris with inhibition zones of 17.8 mm and 14.6 mm, respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay results showed high antioxidant activity for the extract almost comparable to that of ascorbic acid at 30 µg/ml, which indicates that it might potentially be developed into a successful antioxidant agent. Meanwhile, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed by screening the extract against HepG2 (Hepatocellular), A549 (Lung), HCT116 (Colon) and MCF7 (Breast) cancer cells and it was found that the extract exerted its highest activity against A549 cells with an IC50 value of 14.9 µg/ml. The extracts also shown lower cytotoxic activity against normal, healthy MRC-5 cells, with IC50 values of 204.83 g/ml for the stem extract and 412.4 g/ml for the leaves extract, respectively. This suggests that the extract is safe for normal, healthy cells, which is an important characteristic of any possible anticancer treatment. The antiproliferative and apoptosis activities of our selected plant showed that the extracts induced S-phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells. This high cytotoxic activity of the extract indicates that highly bioactive pure compounds could potentially be isolated from the extract in future studies and further developed into an anticancer agent specifically against lung cancer. Therefore, the current study has proven the potential of Launaea mucronata’s methanolic extract as a source of potent antioxidant and anticancer agent
Growth, yield and fruit quality of Mexican tomato landraces in response to salt stress
Get PDFThe Mexican tomato landraces ‘Campeche’, ‘Oaxaca’, ‘Puebla’, and ‘Veracruz’, and the commercial hybrid ‘Vengador’ were evaluated in response to four levels of NaCl (0, 30, 60 and 90 mM) applied through the nutrient solution in a hydroponic system under greenhouse conditions. Yield and dry biomass weight of roots, stems and leaves were reduced by increasing salinity stress, while fruit quality characteristics were improved, with the magnitude of the changes being genotype-dependent. The landrace ‘Veracruz’ produced the lowest yield, 1.06 t ha-1 under control conditions and 0.59 t ha-1 when treated with 90 mM NaCl, amounting to a 44% reduction that was, however, the lowest yield decrease among all genotypes tested. Paradoxically, ‘Veracruz’ was the only landrace displaying a reduction in the root/shoot ratio when exposed to high salinity, indicating more sensitivity to salinity as compared to the other landraces and the hybrid tested. ‘Campeche’ performed the poorest in response to salinity with the most pronounced yield reductions, recording 71.1%, 80.1% and 89.6% yield decreases when comparing plants exposed to 30, 60 and 90 mM to the control, respectively. Although at each salinity level the ‘Veracruz’ fruits showed the highest °Brix value as compared to the other landraces and the hybrid, ‘Oaxaca’ and ‘Puebla’ fruits had a greater increase in °Brix between the control and 90 mM NaCl (109.2% and 110.4%, respectively). With 90 mM NaCl, ‘Oaxaca’ fruits also registered the highest decrease in pH (6.1%) and the highest increase in total soluble sugars (106.7%) with respect to the control
Effect of climate change on the spatial distribution and cork production of Quercus suber L., the risk of exclusion by the Aleppo pine expansion, and management practices to protect Q. suber habitat: A review
Get PDFClimate change represents an important challenge for forest management and the silviculture of stands and it is known that climate change will have complex effects on cork oak forest ecosystems. North Africa and the Mediterranean basin are especially vulnerable to climate change. Under the effect of climate change, cork oak will disappear from a large area in the future, and the rest will migrate to higher altitudes and latitudes. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of climate change on the spatial distribution of Quercus suber L. and cork production in the Mediterranean area, and the risk of its exclusion by the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) expansion. The literature review showed that up to 40% of current environmentally suitable areas for cork oak may be lost by 2070, mainly in northern Africa and the southern Iberian Peninsula. Temperature directly influences atmospheric evaporative demand and should affect cork productivity. Precipitation is the main factor that positively influences cork growth and several authors have confirmed the negative effect of drought on this growth. Currently, cork oak habitats are colonized in several places mainly by the Aleppo pine. Under climate change, Aleppo pine is projected to occupy higher altitude sites and several authors have predicted that current and future global warming will have a positive influence on Aleppo pine growth in wet sites. In the future and under climate change, there is a strong possibility that the Aleppo pine will colonize cork oak habitat. Finally, we proposed management practices to protect cork oak against climate change and Aleppo pine expansion