Lime trees, although beneficial in various aspects, release allergenic pollen during their flowering time, thus creating a potential threat for allergy sufferers. The results of the three-year (2020-2022) volumetric aerobiological research project carried out in Lublin and Szczecin are presented within this paper. When the pollen seasons in Lublin and Szczecin were examined, Lublin exhibited significantly higher concentrations of lime pollen in its atmosphere than Szczecin. In the years of the study, pollen concentrations in Lublin reached approximately three times the levels seen in Szczecin, while the total pollen count for Lublin was roughly two to three times greater than that of Szczecin. Both cities saw unusually high concentrations of lime pollen in 2020, which may have been caused by the 17-25°C rise in average April temperatures compared to the two previous years. The highest recorded lime pollen counts in Lublin and Szczecin fell within the timeframe of the final ten days of June or the commencement of July. Sensitive individuals experienced the highest pollen allergy risk during this period. Lime trees' heightened pollen production in 2020 and the preceding years, 2018 through 2019, along with the concurrent increase in average April temperatures, as previously documented in our study, suggests a possible response to the ongoing global warming trend. Calculations of cumulative temperatures for Tilia plants offer a basis for predicting the commencement of the pollen season.
Four treatment scenarios were developed to investigate the interactive effect of water management (irrigation) and silicon (Si) foliar spray on the uptake and translocation of cadmium (Cd) in rice plants: conventional intermittent flooding without Si spray, continuous flooding without Si spray, conventional flooding with Si spray, and continuous flooding with Si spray. check details Rice treated with WSi exhibited a reduction in Cd uptake and translocation, resulting in lower brown rice Cd content, without impacting rice yield. The Si treatment exhibited a positive impact on rice, increasing the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 65-94%, the stomatal conductance (Gs) by 100-166%, and the transpiration rate (Tr) by 21-168%, when compared to the CK treatment. There were reductions in these parameters, namely a decrease of 205-279%, 86-268%, and 133-233% due to the W treatment. The WSi treatment, however, produced decreases of 131-212%, 37-223%, and 22-137%, respectively. Following the W treatment, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities experienced a decrease of 67-206% and 65-95%, respectively. The Si treatment resulted in a 102-411% enhancement of SOD activity and a 93-251% enhancement of POD activity. Likewise, the WSi treatment led to a 65-181% increase in SOD activity and a 26-224% increase in POD activity. During plant growth, foliar applications successfully countered the detrimental impact of sustained flooding on photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity. Through the integration of consistent flooding and silicon foliar sprays during the entire growth cycle, a substantial reduction in cadmium uptake and translocation is realized, thereby leading to lower cadmium accumulation in brown rice.
This investigation focused on the chemical composition of essential oil from Lavandula stoechas, sourced from Aknol (LSEOA), Khenifra (LSEOK), and Beni Mellal (LSEOB), evaluating its antibacterial, anticandidal, and antioxidant properties in vitro, and assessing its in silico activity against SARS-CoV-2. The chemical composition of LSEO, as characterized by GC-MS-MS, demonstrated variations in the proportions of volatile compounds, such as L-fenchone, cubebol, camphor, bornyl acetate, and -muurolol, underscoring a relationship between the site of Lavandula stoechas growth and the biosynthesis of its essential oils (LSEO). The ABTS and FRAP methods were employed to assess the antioxidant activity of the tested oil. Our findings indicate an ABTS inhibitory effect and a substantial reducing power, ranging from 482.152 to 1573.326 mg EAA per gram of extract. The antibacterial activity of LSEOA, LSEOK, and LSEOB was assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results highlight B. subtilis (2066 115-25 435 mm), P. mirabilis (1866 115-1866 115 mm), and P. aeruginosa (1333 115-19 100 mm) as the most susceptible strains to LSEOA, LSEOK, and LSEOB, with LSEOB demonstrating a bactericidal effect on P. mirabilis. Furthermore, the LSEO displayed a range of anticandidal activity, with inhibition zones of 25.33 ± 0.05 mm, 22.66 ± 0.25 mm, and 19.1 mm for LSEOK, LSEOB, and LSEOA, respectively. check details Furthermore, the in silico molecular docking procedure, employing Chimera Vina and Surflex-Dock software, suggested that LSEO could inhibit SARS-CoV-2. check details LSEO's biological makeup presents it as a promising source of natural bioactive compounds, demonstrating medicinal properties.
For the sake of global health and environmental protection, valorizing the wealth of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds present in agro-industrial waste is a critical concern. Through the use of silver nitrate, this study valorized olive leaf waste to produce silver nanoparticles (OLAgNPs), which showed diverse biological properties, including antioxidant, anticancer effects against three cancer cell lines, and antimicrobial activity against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and fungi. The spherical OLAgNPs, with an average diameter of 28 nm and a negative charge of -21 mV, exhibited a greater concentration of active groups than the original extract, as evidenced by FTIR analysis. A notable 42% and 50% rise in total phenolic and flavonoid content was observed in OLAgNPs compared to olive leaf waste extract (OLWE). Subsequently, a 12% enhancement in antioxidant activity was detected in OLAgNPs, as evidenced by an SC50 of 5 g/mL, contrasted with 30 g/mL for the extract. The HPLC-derived phenolic compound profiles of OLAgNPs and OLWE indicated a prevalence of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, naringenin, catechin, and propyl gallate; OLAgsNPs demonstrated a 16-fold greater abundance of these components compared to OLWE. The higher levels of phenolic compounds present in OLAgNPs are responsible for the substantial increase in biological activity, exceeding that of OLWE. OLA-gNPs demonstrated a higher potency in inhibiting the growth of the three cancer cell lines, MCF-7, HeLa, and HT-29, with 79-82% reduction compared to OLWE (55-67%) and DOX (75-79%). Antibiotics' haphazard use is the underlying cause of the worldwide prevalence of multi-drug resistant microorganisms (MDR). Within this investigation, a potential solution is identified using OLAgNPs at concentrations between 20 and 25 g/mL, significantly impeding the growth of six multidrug-resistant bacterial species – Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejuni, and Escherichia coli—yielding inhibition zone diameters of 25-37 mm, and impeding the growth of six pathogenic fungal species, with inhibition zones ranging from 26 to 35 mm, contrasting with the performance of antibiotics. In novel medical applications, OLAgNPs, as investigated in this study, may offer a safe approach to reducing free radical damage, cancer, and multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Pearl millet, a crop of considerable importance, exhibits resilience to adverse environmental factors and serves as a fundamental food source in arid regions. Even so, the essential mechanisms of stress resistance within it are not completely deciphered. A plant's ability to survive is determined by its capacity to recognize a stress signal and subsequently elicit the necessary physiological modifications. Using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) in conjunction with clustering physiological changes—namely, chlorophyll content (CC) and relative water content (RWC)—we sought to identify the genes controlling physiological adaptations in response to abiotic stresses. We focused on the connection between gene expression and changes in CC and RWC. Modules, distinguished by different color names, represented the correlations between genes and traits. Similar expression patterns characterize genes within modules that tend to be functionally related and co-regulated. Gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a dark green module containing 7082 genes positively correlated with characteristic CC. The investigation into the module's relationship with CC strongly indicated ribosome synthesis and plant hormone signaling as the most prominent pathways. The dark green module's core gene set included potassium transporter 8 and monothiol glutaredoxin, which were reported to have the highest interaction levels. Cluster analysis identified 2987 genes that demonstrated a relationship with a rise in CC and RWC. The pathway analysis of these clusters demonstrated the ribosome as a positive regulator for RWC, and thermogenesis as a positive regulator for CC. This study provides unique insights into the molecular underpinnings that control CC and RWC in pearl millet.
Small RNAs (sRNAs), the key players in RNA silencing, are deeply implicated in a plethora of essential biological processes in plants, ranging from regulating gene expression and combating viral attacks to upholding the integrity of the plant genome. The mobile nature and rapid generation of sRNAs, coupled with their amplification mechanisms, imply their potential as significant regulators of intercellular and interspecies communication within plant-pathogen-pest interactions. Endogenous small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) of plants can act on their own immune responses (cis) to suppress pathogens, or translocate to affect the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of pathogens, weakening their virulence. Pathogen-derived small RNAs can also operate locally (cis) to control their own genetic activity and boost their detrimental effect on a plant host, or they can spread across the genome (trans) to silence plant messenger RNAs and undermine the plant's defense mechanisms. The alteration of small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) in plant cells during viral infection stems from both the activation and disruption of the plant's RNA silencing mechanism against viruses, which results in an accumulation of virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs), and the modification of the plant's natural small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs).