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Versatile role of Bacillus velezensis: Biocontrol of Fusarium poae and wireworms and barley plant growth promotion
No full textThe major losses in cereal production are most commonly caused by phytopathogenic fungi and insect larvae,
indicating the need for sustainable pest control management. Although bacterial bioinoculants offer an ecofriendly
alternative for plant protection and growth promotion (PGP), their effects on Fusaium poae and
Agriotes lineatus larvae have not been comprehensively studied yet. To find an effective biological control agent
against these pests, Bacillus strains were isolated from soil and tested for PGP and biocontrol traits, including the
presence of antibiotic and toxin-coding genes. Out of eleven strains, B. velezensis BHC 5.6 showed a wide range of
PGP and biocontrol abilities, while the presence of fenD, bmyB, srfAA, spaS genes was also detected. Only two
strains, P. megaterium BHC 5.5 and B. velezensis BHC 5.6, showed antifungal effect against F. poae with inhibition
percentage of 62% and 67%, respectively. The highest insecticidal effect against wireworms was recorded for
B. velezensis BHC 5.6 (56.67%) and B. safensis BHC 11.4 (43.33%). The PGP activity of B. velezensis BHC 5.6 was
also confirmed in a pot experiment, where an increment of barley yield was recorded both for infected (17.09%)
and uninfected barley seeds (10.12%). This is the first time demonstrating that the B. velezensis BHC 5.6 could be
used for integrated pest management of F. poae and A. lineatus larvae in barley and for plant growth promoting.
Therefore, the implementation of this strain could contribute to the food safety in sustainable agricultural
practices
PHENOLIC PROFILES AND SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PLUM CULTIVARS TO BROWN ROT CAUSED BY MONILINIA SPP.
No full textStone fruits are the most important fruit crops in Serbia, with plums (Prunus domestica L.) significantly contributing to the overall fruit production. With an annual yield of around 400,000 tons, Serbia is the second largest plum producer in Europe [1]. However, plum production is significantly threatened by brown rot, a widespread disease caused by three Monilinia species: Monilinia laxa, Monilinia fructicola, and Monilinia fructigena. M. laxa and M. fructigena have been known to affect stone fruits in Serbia for a long time, whereas M. fructicola was recorded for the first time in 2011 [2]. The study aims to assess the susceptibility of different fruit developmental stages of two plum cultivars (‘Stanley’ and ‘Čačanska rodna’) to these pathogens, analyse their phenolic profiles, and explore possible correlations between phenolic content and brown rot incidence. Results indicate similar phenolic profiles of healthy fruits across cultivars, while early in brown rot development, some phenolic compounds correlated with lesion size. As the disease progressed, severity of lesions was negatively correlated with compounds such as quercitrin, rutin, naringin, isoferulic acid, polydatin, and catechin, but positively correlated with naringenin and aesculetin. The strongest correlations occurred during pit hardening and fruit colour change, suggesting that these compounds directly influence plum susceptibility to Monilinia infections. These findings suggest that specific phenolic compounds are a keys determinant of the susceptibility of plum fruits to infections caused by Monilinia species. Cultivars exhibiting higher levels of flavonol glycosides at the commercial maturity stage may exhibit enhanced resistance to brown rot, thereby extending postharvest shelf life. Taking into account bioactive and nutraceutical properties of flavonol glycosides, cultivar selection may also offer additional benefits for human and animal health, with broader implications for the food and beverage industry
Motor and non-motor effects of acute MPTP in adult zebrafish: Insights into Parkinson’s disease
No full textParkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder,
is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra
pars compacta, leading to motor and non-motor symptoms. The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-
phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) has been extensively used in different animal
species to develop chemical models of PD. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of acute
exposure to MPTP (3 × 150 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) on adult zebrafish by assessing the
neurochemical, transcriptional, and motor changes associated with PD pathogenesis. MPTP
treatment resulted in a significant decrease in brain catecholamines, including dopamine,
norepinephrine, and normetanephrine. Additionally, a trend towards decreased levels
of dopamine precursors (tyrosine and L-DOPA) and degradation products (3-MT and
DOPAC) was also observed, although these changes were not statistically significant. Gene
expression analysis showed the downregulation of dbh, while the expression of other
genes involved in catecholamine metabolism (th1, th2, mao, comtb) and transport (slc6a3
and slc18a2) remained unaltered, suggesting a lack of dopaminergic neuron degeneration.
Behavioral assessments revealed that MPTP-exposed zebrafish exhibited reduced motor
activity, consistent with the observed decrease in dopamine levels. In contrast, the kinematic
parameters of sharp turning were unaffected. A significant impairment in the sensorimotor
gating of the ASR was detected in the MPTP-treated fish, consistent with psychosis. Despite
dopamine depletion and behavioral impairments, the absence of neurodegeneration and
some hallmark PD motor symptoms suggests limitations in the validity of this model for
fully recapitulating PD pathology. Further studies are needed to refine the use of MPTP in
zebrafish PD models
Characterization of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium vorosii originated from Small Cereals Grain in Serbia
No full textIn the present study, the species diversity of Fusarium graminearum
species complex was investigated based on morphological, pathogenic, toxicological
and genetic characteristics. Fifty-two isolates, derived from small grains from 20
different locations in Serbia, were studied. The phylogenetic analysis of seven selected
sequences of three gene regions, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1α), histone
H3, and β-tubulin, revealed that six isolates were identified as F. graminearum sensu
stricto and one as Fusarium vorosii. The TEF-1α and histone H3 genes were found to
be sufficiently informative to distinguish the species F. vorosii. These species are of
particular concern due to their ability to synthesize mycotoxins that affect both human
and animal health. In this study, it was confirmed that all isolates tested belong to the
15ADON chemotype. Since previous investigations have shown that climate change
is the leading cause of the appearance of new, potentially more toxic species, future
research must pay special attention to changes in the population of this complex. Given
that there is little information in the literature about the damage of the F. vorosii species
in the production of small grains, this work aimed to examine its aggressiveness and
toxicity and thus determine the potential danger of its spreading. Results of the present
study showed that the genetic diversity of isolates of F. graminearum species complex
(FGSC) in Serbia, as well as their potential for toxin production and aggressiveness,
indicate that continuous study of this species is necessary, both in Serbia and the world
outside
Kombinovana primena mikrobioloških agenasa na bazi Bacillus amyloliquefaciens i Streptomyces flavovirens za suzbijanje prouzrokovača zelene plesni i povećanje prinosa šampinjona
No full textU Novom tehničkom rešenju utvrđeno je povećanje efikasnosti suzbijanja prouzrokovača
zelene plesni i povećanje prinosa šampinjona zajedničkom primenom korisne bakterije Bacillus
amyloliquefaciens B-241 (1×108 CFU ml-1) i aktinobakterije Streptomyces flavovirens A06 (1 × 108
CFU ml-1), u ukupnoj količini 60 ml u 1 l vode po m2 (u odnosu 80:20, tj. 48:12 ml u 1 l vode po
m2), podeljenom u šest tretiranja (10 ml u 1 l vode po m2 drugog dana nakon postavljanja pokrivke
i 5×10 ml u 1 l vode po m2 u intervalima od sedam dana). Primenom novog postupka, efikasnost
u suzbijanju prouzrokovača zelene plesni je predstavljala sabiranje efikasnosti dva korisna
mirkoorganizma (aditivno dejstvo), dok je prinos u zajedničkoj primeni poboljšan za 52 - 62 %
u odnosu na očekivano pojedinačno dejstvo dva mikroorganizma (sinergističko dejstvo). Takođe,
preporučuje se tretiranje komposta u kompostarama pre zasejavanja micelije šampinjona ovom
kombinacijom bioloških agenasa u ukupnoj količini 150-200 ml u 2 l vode na 1000 kg komposta
(u odnosu 80:20, tj. primenom od 120:30 do 160:40 ml korisne bakterije B. amyloliquefaciens 1×108
CFU ml-1 i aktinobakterije S. flavovirens 1×108 CFU ml-1)
Presence of Francisella tularensis in Apodemus spp. on the Edges of Forest Areas in Belgrade, Serbia
No full textTularemia, a zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis, is considered endemic to the Balkan Peninsula. Themain reservoirs of this
disease are rodents and lagomorphs, which usually show no clinical signs and are a potential disease source for other animals and
humans. The presence of F. tularensis in the tissues of rodents in Serbiawas examined for the first time. The animalswere collected
near walking tracks and places for recreation in forest areas in Belgrade. A total of 96 mice were collected in three forest locations
in the autumn of 2023. Tissue samples of lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys were taken by autopsy, and pool samples were made for
all captured animals, that is, 71 striped field mice (SFM), 13 wood mice (WM), and 12 yellow-necked mice (YNM). The bacterium
F. tularensis was detected by PCR, using primers that target the tul4 gene, which codes 17-kDa lipoprotein and amplifies the 400-
bp product. Thirteen samples tested positive by PCR, seven of which were confirmed by sequencing to belong to F. tularensis. F.
tularensis was detected in SFM animals collected from all investigated forest areas. Based on the observed results, we can conclude
that F. tularensis is present in the tissues of SFM animals captured in Belgrade’s forest areas
The effect of Artemisia dracunculus essential oil on Chenopodium album and Sorghum halepense
No full textThe application of secondary metabolites produced by plants (allelochemicals) has great potential as
a tool for integrated weed control. The species of the family Asteraceae and especially the
genus Artemisia are characterised by a high production of allelochemicals that can have a
phytotoxic/herbicidal effect on other plants.
The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and to evaluate the effect
of Artemisia dracunculus essential oil on the aboveground fresh mass of Chenopodium
album and Sorghum halepense. The essential oil was extracted from the dried aerial plant material of
cultivated A. dracunculus by steam distillation. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
technique was used to identify the constituents of the essential oil. The in vivo experiment included 5
treatments with different concentrations of oil (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10%) and one control treatment
(distilled water with Trend 90 surfactant at a concentration of 0.2%). All treatments were applied at
the stage of the first pair of developed leaves of C. album and at a height of 8 cm of S. halepense using
an automatic pesticide application chamber (Lechler nozzle 110-02; 2bar; 20 ml/m 2
). Visual damage
was assessed 1, 7, 14 and 21 days after application of the treatments and after 21 days the fresh mass
was measured.
The main compounds in the oil were methyl eugenol (52.70%), sabinene (28.60%) and terpinen-4-ol
(2.40%). On the first day after application, examined treatments caused visual injuries observed as
leaf chlorosis and necrosis and the degree of visual damage was 11.67-96.67% in C. album and 0.00-
61.67% in S. halepense, compared to the control plants. However, the treated plants were able to
overcome the damage up to a certain percentage, especially at lower concentrations. The inhibition
of fresh mass was between 6.57-82.45% for C. album and 4.46-40.26% for S. halepense for the
applied treatments.
The results obtained showed the herbicidal potential of the essential oil of A. dracunculus with a
greater sensitivity of C. album compared to S. halepense. The phenylpropanoid methyl eugenol as
the main component of the oil could be responsible for the phytotoxic effect, which will be tested in
further experiments
Variation in Brown Rot Susceptibility and Phenolic Profile at Different Stages of Plum Fruit (Prunus domestica L.) Development
No full textPlum production is severely affected by brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. In this study, the relationship between the content of major phenolic compounds and the severity of brown rot in artificially inoculated fruits of two plum cultivars (“Stanley” and “Čačanska Rodna”) was investigated at three fruit developmental stages. The results showed that the phenolic profiles of healthy fruits did not differ significantly between cultivars. In the early stages of brown rot development, some phenolic compounds correlated significantly with lesion diameter in both cultivars. Later, as the disease progressed, negative correlation between disease severity and content of quercitrin, rutin, naringin, isoferulic acid, polydatin, and catechin and positive correlation between disease severity and content of naringenin and aesculetin was found. The most significant correlations were observed in pit hardening and ground color change of fruits, which may reflect potential involvement of these compounds in the susceptibility of plum fruits to Monilinia-induced infections
ANTIFUNGALNA AKTIVNOST ETARSKIH ULJA KOMORACA, PERSUNA I AN ISA NA Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, PROUZROKOVACA BELE TRULEZI
No full textVrsta Sc/erotinia sc/erotiorum je polifagna, nekrotrofna fitopatogena gljiva koja izaziva ekonomski znacajne stete u biljnoj proizvodnji. Prouzrokovac je bele trulezi ratarskih, povrtarskih i ukrasnih vrsta biljaka. Primena bioloskih preparata predstavlja pozeljno resenje sa aspekta bezbednosti hrane ocuvanja zivotne sredine i biodiverziteta. Rezultati veceg broja istrazivanja delovanja etarskih ulja na brojne patogene organizme i stetocine, ukazuju na mogucnost njihovog ukljucivanja u programe zastite razlicitih gajenih biljaka.
Antifungalno fumigantno delovanje komercijalnih etarskih ulja komoraca (Foeniculum vulgare), persuna (Petroselinum crispum) i anisa (Pimpinella
anisum) (Herba d.o.o, Beograd), pripadnika familije Apiaceae, prema dva odabrana izolata 5. sclerotiorum (5517 /7 i 5520/3), prouzrokovaca bele trulezi, ispitano je primenom makrodilucine fumigantne metode. Odabrani izolati izolovani su 2022. godine iz biljaka zelene salate. Eksperiment je izveden u Petri kutijama sa 15 ml PDA podloge koje su najpre zasejane diskovima micelije precnika 5 mm, a potom su na sredinu poklopca na sterilan filter papir precnika 5 mm nanete razlicite kolicine etarskih ulja. Preracunavanjem nanetih kolicina etarskih ulja na zapreminu Petri kutije primenjene su sledece koncentracije: 0,01; 0,06; 0,13; 0,20 i 0,26 μI/ml vazdusne faze. Kao kontrola koriscene su Petri kutije u koje nije naneto etarsko ulje. Petri kutije su umotane parafilmom i inkubirane u invertnom polozaju 48 h u mraku pri temperaturi od 25°C. Antifungalno delovanje ispitano je pracenjem rasta micelije izolata i odredivanjem sledecih
parametara: minimalne inhibitorne koncentracije (MIC), minimalne fungicidne
koncentracije (MFC), kao i procenata inhibicije porasta micelije.
Etarsko ulje komoraca ispoljilo je najjace fumigantno delovanje, dok je
najslabije delovanje ispoljilo etarsko ulje persuna na oba ispitana izolata 5.
sclerotiorum. Procenti inhibicije porasta micelije izolata S5 17 /7 bili su u opsegu od 46,33 do 98,90%, a izolata 5S 20/3 u opsegu od 29, 11 do 98,26% za etarsko ulje komoraca. Procenti inhibicije porasta micelije oba izolata bili su u opsegu od 6,86 do 60,94% za etarsko ulje anisa i od 16,91 do 41,79% za etarsko ulje persuna. Minimalne fungicidne i minimalne inhibitorne koncentracije nisu zabelezene na odabranim koncentracijama ni za jedno od tri testirana ulja (MIC>0,26; MFC>0,26 μI/ml vazdusne faze).
Na osnovu ostvarenih rezultata, etarsko ulje komoraca moze se preporuciti
za dalja in vivo ispitivanja. Rad je rezultat projekata Ministarstva nauke, tehnoloskog razvoja inovacija: 451-03-136/2025-03/200214
Mode of Action of Brassinosteroids: Seed Germination and Seedling Growth and Development—One Hypothesis
No full textBrassinosteroids, as unique plant steroid hormones that bear structural similarity
to animal steroids, play a crucial role in modulating plant growth and development. These
hormones have a positive impact on plant resistance and, under stressful conditions, stimulate
photosynthesis and antioxidative systems (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), leading
to a reduced impact of environmental cues on plant metabolism and growth. Although
these plant hormones have been studied for several decades, most studies analyze the
primary site of action of the brassinosteroid phytohormone, with a special emphasis on
the activation of various genes (mainly nuclear) through different signaling processes that
influence plant metabolism, growth, and development. This review explores another issue,
the secondary influence (the so-called mode of action) of brassinosteroids on changes in
growth, development, and chemical composition, as well as thermodynamic and energetic
changes, mainly during the early growth of corn seedlings. The interactions of brassinosteroids
with other phytohormones and physiologically active substances and the influence
of these interactions on the mode of action of brassinosteroid phytohormones were also
discussed. Seen from a cybernetic point of view, the approach can be labeled as “black box”
or “gray box”. “Black box” and “gray box” are terms for cybernetic systems, for which
we know the inputs and outputs (in an energetic, biochemical, kinetic, informational, or
some other sense), but whose internal structure and/or organization are completely or
partially unknown to us. The findings of many researchers have indicated an important
role of reactive species, such as oxygen and nitrogen reactive species, in these processes.
This ultimately results in the redistribution of matter and energy from source organs to
sink organs, with a decrease in Gibbs free energy from the source to sink organs. This
quantitative evidence speaks of the exothermic nature and spontaneity of early (corn)
seedling development and growth under the influence of 24-epibrassinolide. Based on
these findings and a review of the literature on the mode of action of brassinosteroids, a
hypothesis was put forward about the secondary effects of BRs on germination and the
early growth of plant seedlings