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Mushrooms are a rich source of biologically active compounds. Meanwhile, Inonotus species reported abundant bioactive chemicals. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer potential of Inonotus rickii (Pat.), a less-studied mushroom with an unverified identity, collected from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, and its metabolic profiling. The morphological traits and spores were examined through a compound microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to confirm the species. Further, the ITS-5.8S region of the sample DNA was amplified using PCR, and species I. rickii was confirmed through molecular phylogeny. The I. rickii sample extracts demonstrated biological activity against Propionibacterium acnes, Vibrio cholera, and Bacillus subtilis. However, tested antioxidant capacity revealed an increase in activity with an increase in extract concentration. Moreover, the extract showed anticancer potential against Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines MCF-7 with IC50 greater than 80 µg/mL. The FTIR analysis and HRLCMS based metabolic profiling of I. rickii reported various chemical groups and bioactive metabolites, respectively. It might, however, be used as a nutraceutical and in the healthcare industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max) is an economically important crop, ranking first among the edible oilseed crops in the world due to its oil content and nutritional value. Besides, it is used as a dietary supplement and a source of pharmaceuticals. The recent rapid climate changes and increasing global population have led to increasing demand for vegetable oil. In the recent past, advances in the field of plant biotechnology have revolutionized agricultural practices at a global level to enhance the yield of crops. This technology not only makes an impact on the agricultural market but also opens up new corridors for agriculture-related industrial applications of this important crop. Therefore, in the last two decades, soybean has gained attention for genetic improvement with remarkable developments in the manipulations of genes for the induction of desired characteristics. In this review, we introduced the transgenic approach as a promising tool for the improvement of soybean oilseed quality and productivity. Then, the enhancement of nutritional and pharmaceutical value together with biotic and abiotic stress-resistant ability was summarized and compared. The methods and strategies for achieving soybean crops with improved abiotic stress tolerance, productivity, and pharmaceutics are categorized to help with future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canavalia gladiata (Sword Bean; family Fabaceae) is a fast-growing climber crop that has been widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas for its edible seeds and legumes. It has also been used as grain legume and medicinal plant in China for thousands of years. The metabolites from leaves and seeds of C. gladiata were extracted in petroleum ether and chloroform. Further, extracts were subjected to GC-MS analysis for metabolite profiling. Total of 31 phytoconstituents were identified; 14 compounds were reported to have biological activities. The Tridecane reported from leaves and seeds petroleum ether extract showed 10.67 and 2.72% of relative quantity of compound respectively and has antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Octasiloxane,1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7,9,9,11,11,11,15,15-hexadecamethyl (3.42%) found in petroleum ether leaves extracts showed antimicrobial activity. Moreover, 1- Hexadecane constituted 10.23% in seeds and 3.71% relative quantity in leaves extracted with chloroform showed antibacterial activity. The seeds and leaves extracted with chloroform reported 1-Tetradecene in 6.59 and 6.03% relative quantity respectively has antifungal potential. While Phenol 2, 4-bis [1, 1-dimethylethyl] reported in leaves (6.12%) and seeds (6.47%) chloroform extract act as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. The 1-Nonadecene in seeds (3.47%) and leaves (2.14%) chloroform extracts showed antifungal activity while 1-Docosene in seeds (2.98%) and leaves (1.71%) of chloroform extract showed antimicrobial potential. Nonadecane constituted 3.06% in seeds and 2.78% in leaves chloroform extracts and has antioxidant potential. The present study revealed that the leaves and seeds of C. gladiata are a good source of antioxidants and other biologically active ingredients. However, petroleum ether and chloroform extracted different metabolites from seeds and leaves. Therefore, these findings highlighted the importance of solvent in phytochemical extractions and further bioactivity of C. gladiata metabolites creates an attention of researchers for their use in the field of paramedical industries and herbal medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucuna pruriens (L). DC is one of the most promising wild underutilized medicinal legume belonging to family Fabaceae. It is used in ayurvedic as well as various traditional systems of medicine. This plant was widely utilized in treatment of various disorders. Also, it is a rich source of nutrients as well as used as a flavouring agent in bakery industry. The present study was aimed to investigate leaves and seeds antioxidant potential by DPPH assay and phytochemicals by preliminary phytochemical screening and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis in five different solvents. Highest antioxidant activity was found to be 76.96% in seeds extracted with ethanol and 72.50% in leaves extracted with petroleum ether. While preliminary phytochemical screening revealed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids and terpenoids. GC-MS analysis revealed twenty-four and thirty bioactive compounds from the leaves and seeds respectively and it was solvent specific. Antioxidant, antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-malarial, anti-diabetic, anti-cancerous, and hypocholesterolemic properties have been reported to compounds which were found in present study. However, reported bioactive compounds highlight its nutritional importance and validate the use of the plant to cure various disorders by traditional practitioners. While the antioxidant potential and phytochemical investigations will direct their potential for utilization and applicability as a nutraceutical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology has a wide range of agricultural applications, with emphasize on the development of novel nano-agrochemicals such as, nano-fertilizer and nano-pesticides. It has a significant impact on sustainable agriculture by increasing agricultural productivity, while reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Nano-coating delivery methods for agrochemicals have improved agrochemical effectiveness, safety, and consistency. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) has recently been recognized as an effective tool, contrary to chemically derived NPs, for plant abiotic and biotic stress control, and crop improvement. In this regard, fungi have tremendous scope and importance for producing biogenic NPs of various sizes, shapes, and characteristics. Fungi are potential candidates for synthesis of biogenic NPs due to their enhanced bioavailability, biological activity, and higher metal tolerance. However, their biomimetic properties and high capacity for dispersion in soil, water environments, and foods may have negative environmental consequences. Furthermore, their bioaccumulation raises significant concerns about the novel properties of nanomaterials potentially causing adverse biological effects, including toxicity. This review provides a concise outline of the growing role of fungal-mediated metal NPs synthesis, its potential applications in crop field, and associated issues of nano-pollution in soil and its future implications. [Display omitted] • Fungi are excellent sources of agriculturally useful green nanoparticles. • Novel green nano-agrochemicals hold promise for sustainable agricultural applications. • High concentration NPs are toxic to both ecosystems and human health. • Using green NPs to reduce inorganic fertilizer is a unique strategy. • Soil nano-pollution results from the widespread usage of nano-chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes were estimated in the morphology, physiology, photosynthesis, nodulation, and yield in two mungbean varieties 'PKV AKM 12-28' and 'VBN (Gg)3' under salt stress (0, 75, 100, and 125 mM NaCl) for 15, 30, and 45 days. Multivariate modelling was used to analyse results to explore complex data and to visualize time and concentration-dependent modulations. Principal component analysis showed modulations in morpho-physiological attributes such as shoot length, root length, the number of secondary branches, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight and leaf area; photosynthetic attributes such as chlorophyll 'a', chlorophyll 'b', total chlorophyll, total carotene and total anthocyanine content; nodulation attributes such as nodules per plant, size of the nodule, and fresh weight per nodule, and yield attributes such as number of pods per plant, fresh weight per pod, and seed characteristics such as the number of seeds per pod and fresh weight per 1000 seeds are key traits affected by salt stress and can be used as indicators. Discriminant analysis identiFed modulations in morpho-physiological attributes such as root length, leaf area, root fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, shoot length and photosynthetic attributes such as chlorophyll-a content, and mean nodule weight as discriminating variables at different salt concentrations. Besides, it identified modulations in morpho-physiological attributes such as root length, root fresh weight, photosynthetic attributes such as total anthocyanin content and total chlorophyll content, nodulation attribute such nodule size and nodule weight, and yield attributes such as pod number and number of seeds per pod are discriminating variables at various durations of salt stress. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis identiFed 'PKV-AKM 12-28' as salt-tolerant and 'VBN (Gg)3' as salt-susceptible varieties. Multiple correlation analysis identified significant correlations among morphological, physiological, photosynthetic, nodulation and yield parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloride and sodium constitute as the major ions in most saline soils, contributing to salt-induced damage in plants. Research on salt tolerance has mostly concentrated on the sodium toxicity; however, chloride toxicity also needs to be considered to understand the physiological, biochemical, and metabolite changes under individual and additive salts. In this study, we investigated the effect of individual Na+ and/or Cl− ions (equimolar 100 mM NaCl, Na+ and Cl− salts) using in vitro cultures of four soybean genotypes with contrasting salt tolerance. In general, all the treatments significantly induced antioxidant enzymes activities such as catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase and osmolytes including proline, glycine betaine, and total soluble sugar (TSS). Both individual (Na+, Cl−) and additive (NaCl) stresses induced more pronounced activation of antioxidant enzyme machinery and osmolytes accumulation in the tolerant genotypes (MAUS-47 and Bragg). The sensitive genotypes (Gujosoya-2 and SL-295) showed higher accumulation of Na+ and Cl−, while the tolerant genotypes were found to maintain a low Na+/K+ and high Ca2+ level in combination with enhanced antioxidant defense and osmotic adjustment. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomic profiling depicted the association of certain metabolites under individualistic and additive salt effects. The genotype-specific metabolic changes indicated probable involvement of azetidine, 2-furanmethanol, 1,4-dioxin, 3-fluorothiophene, decanoic acid and 2-propenoic acid methyl ester in salt-tolerance mechanism of soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen mungbean varieties [Vigpa radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] were subjected to 100-400 mM salinity stress at the germination stage, and the indices of seed germination and early seedling growth were analysed. With the increasing salinity, seed germination and seedling growth attributes were affected in all varieties. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of varietal responses on the germination and seeding growth attributes at 400 mM NaCl separated seventeen varieties into four distinct clusters. Principal component analysis at lower salt stress levels indicated that the attributes of germination and early seedling growth are reliable to identify salt-tolerant mungbean varieties. In contrast, only germination attributes are reliable at higher salinity levels. Two salt-susceptible and salt-tolerant varieties were further assessed for NaCl-induced physiological and biochemical changes. Levels of proteins, secondary metabolites, osmolyte, and antioxidants were increased at lower salt concentrations but reduced at higher salt concentrations. Photosynthetic pigments decreased and membrane damage increased under salinity. Varieties that showed tolerance to salt stress can be used in salinity-affected agriculture fields after validating their salt tolerance in field experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]