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• Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) was treated with jasmonic acid (JA). • JA increased the growth of C. roseus and mitigated the salt stress. • JA enhanced compatible solutes and regulated antioxidant enzymes. • Foliar application of JA can be a promising approach for improving alkaloids yield. Catharanthus roseus is a vital medicinal plant due to its content of alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine which are known to have a special interest in the pharmaceutical industries. Little is known about the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) on C. roseus plants grown under saline conditions. Pots experiment was conducted to explore the impacts of four treatments of JA (0, 0.50, 1.0, and 1.50 mM) on the growth of C. roseus plants which were irrigated with saline (EC = 5.27 dS m−1) or tap water (EC = 0.53 dS m−1). The growth of C. roseus plants was reduced due to the irrigation with saline water; on the other hand, the salinity induced the accumulation of alkaloids. Salt stress induced a 41% increase in the alkaloid yield of C. roseus plants compared to the control plants irrigated with fresh water. Some defense mechanisms including: osmoregulation, ion compartmentalization, and antioxidants accumulation were activated in C. roseus plants upon salt stress. The foliar application of JA to the C. roseus plants increased the growth parameters and mitigated the salt stress; moreover, it enhanced nutrients uptake. Spraying of C. roseus plants with JA significantly enhanced the biosynthesis of compatible solutes and decreased the activity of pyrogallol peroxidase (PPX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Foliar application of JA increased the alkaloids yield of C. roseus plants. JA reduced the negative effects of salt stress in C. roseus plants through increasing osmoregulation compounds and regulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Spraying of C. roseus with JA could be used as a sustainable strategy for promotion its medicinal property by augmenting secondary metabolites production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, significant attention has been directed toward the synthesis and application of nanoparticles (NPs) in agriculture sector. In current study, nanoceria (CeO 2 NPs) synthesized by green method were employed to address cadmium (Cd) accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivated in field with excess Cd. The application of CeO 2 NPs was carried out through foliar spraying, performed twice during the growth of T. aestivum. Four levels of CeO 2 NPs were used: T0, T1, T2, and T3 as 0, 50, 75, and 100 mgL−1, respectively. Results highlighted the positive effects of CeO 2 NPs on various growth parameters, including plant height, spike length, photosynthetic related attributes, as well as straw and grain of grains in comparison to T1 (control group). Furthermore, CeO 2 NPs led to a reduction in oxidative stress in the leaves and enhanced in enzyme activities in comparison to T1. Notably, Cd concentrations in straw, roots, and grains exhibited a decline following the treatment with CeO 2 NPs, in contrast to the control group. In terms of health implications, the calculated health risk index associated with dietary consumption of grains by adults remained below the defined threshold with supply of nanoparticles. Foliar application of CeO 2 NPs proved to be an effective approach in reducing cadmium content in wheat grains. This reduction holds significant potential for minimizing the risk of cadmium exposure to human health through the food chain. Employing the green synthesis method amplifies the potential for extensive production and a wide array of environmental applications for CeO 2 NPs. This dual capacity makes them proficient in tackling environmental stresses while concurrently mitigating adverse ecological effects. [Display omitted] • Wheat plants were grown in Cd-polluted soil and CeO 2 NPs were foliar sprayed • CeO 2 NPs boosted plant growth and photosynthesis of Cd-stressed wheat • CeO 2 NPs increased grain and biomass yield and reduced Cd accumulation in plants • CeO 2 NPs decreased human health risk index due to consumption of wheat grains [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity has emerged as a major threat to food security and safety around the globe. The crop production on agricultural lands is squeezing due to aridity, climate change and low quality of irrigation water. The present study investigated the effect of biogenic silicon (Si) sources including wheat straw biochar (BC-ws), cotton stick biochar (BC-cs), rice husk feedstock (RH-fs), and sugarcane bagasse (SB), on the growth of two consecutive maize (Zea mays L.) crops in alkaline calcareous soil. The application of SB increased the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and internal CO 2 concentration by 104, 100, 55, and 16% in maize 1 and 140, 136, 76, and 22% in maize 2 respectively. Maximum yield (g/pot) of cob, straw, and root were remained as 39.5, 110.7, and 23.6 while 39.4, 113.2, and 23.6 in maize 1 and 2 respectively with the application of SB. The concentration of phosphorus (P) in roots, shoots, and cobs was increased by 157, 173, and 78% for maize 1 while 96, 224, and 161% for maize 2 respectively over control by applying SB. The plant cationic ratios (Mg:Na, Ca:Na, K:Na) were maximum in the SB applied treatment in maize 1 and 2. The study concluded that the application of SB on the basis of soluble Si, as a biogenic source, remained the best in alleviating the salt stress and enhancing the growth of maize in rotation. The field trials will be more interesting to recommend the farmer scale. [Display omitted] • Different organic amendments enhanced the maize yield under salts stress • Presence of silicon (Si) in amendments improved the growth and yield of maize crops • Among biogenic Si sources, sugarcane bagasse (SB) efficiently reduced the toxic effects of salts • The SB increased the nutrient availability and maintained ionic homeostasis in plants [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles (NPs) are released and dispersed in the environment because of increased manufacturing and use of nano products. NPs disturb the growth of plants depending upon types, exposure duration and plant species. The purpose of this research was to explore the role of gibberellic acid (GA) exposure through foliar route on wheat growth under alone or combined soil application of cerium oxide (CeO 2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and titanium dioxide (TiO 2) NPs. GA was foliar-applied (200 mg/L) on the wheat plants treated with individual and in all possible combination of the selected NPs. Explorations have revealed that the combination of NPs and GA worked well to enhance the plant growth and selected nutrient status than NPs alone. Furthermore, GA decreased the boosted antioxidant enzyme activities under the combination and individual NPs compared to the alone NPs treated plants, lowered the oxidative stress in wheat plants which provided the additional proof that GA decreased oxidative damage in plants. Combined NPs showed differential effects than individual NPs application irrespective of GA exposure which varied with NPs combination and studied parameters of plants. GA + NPs differentially affected the potassium, phosphorus, iron and manganese concentrations in wheat tissues than NPs alone treatments. Overall, GA can be applied when there is excess of NPs (either alone or in combination) in the growth medium to ensure the growth of crops. However, further studied are needed with other plant species and alone or combined use of different NPs under GA treatment before any final recommendation. [Display omitted] • Nanoparticles were toxic to plants and decreased the plant mineral nutrients and wheat growth. • Effect of ZnO, CeO 2 , TiO 2 NPs varied with combination type and plant attributes. • Foliar-applied GA boosted wheat growth and nutritional quality when exposed to NPs. • The GA minimized the oxidative stress and boosted the growth of NPs-stressed wheat. • GA showed positive effect on wheat irrespective of NPs combinations or alone supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful mining soil reclamation promotes ecosystem recovery, reduces negative environmental effects, adds more area for forestry or agricultural purposes, and increases carbon (C) sequestration. In order to increase soil erosion management, improve soil quality, reduce pollutants, and assure safe land application of traditional amendment materials, nanoparticles with exceptionally high deliverability and reactivity may be used as amendments. Iron oxide is being researched for the remediation of industrial soil that is co-contaminated with arsenic (AS) due to the absence of Nano enhanced materials for mine soil reclamation. In order to improve the soil quality of a mine waste that was heavily polluted with As (1807 mg/kg), the effects of iron oxide on the non-specifically and specifically-sorbed As were investigated. Iron oxide was added to the polluted soil at concentrations of 0.5 percent, 2 percent, and 5 percent (w/w). The goal of this work is to define the effect of iron oxide and Zero Valent I nanoparticles (nZVI) in reducing the contamination of soil by the use of soft computing models of extreme learning machines (ELM) with particle swarm optimization (PSO). In this case, the hybrid ELM-PSO has shown good performance as a trustworthy approach after the regression study of RMSE, R-square, and r. The addition of iron oxide dosages decreased the easily accessible As by 92.4 when compared to the untreated soil, with the 5 percent doses having a noticeably greater effect. [Display omitted] • Effects of iron oxide on the non-specifically and specifically-sorbed As were investigated. • Iron oxide was added to the polluted soil at concentrations of 0.5, 2 and 5 percent (w/w). • Effect of iron oxide and Zero Valent I nanoparticles in reducing the contamination of soil assessed. • Combination of soft computing models of ELM with PSO as hybrid model used. • Addition of iron oxide dosages decreased the easily accessible As by 92.4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant cause of morbidity and death in the current world, posing a challenge to both developing and industrialized nation's health systems. Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai. seeds have long been utilized to supplement and enhance health and treat cardiovascular illnesses. However, its treatments for CVDs are still unknown. More research is required to fully comprehend the impact of C. lanatus seeds on vasorelaxation and myocardial infractions.Purpose: Therefore, an integrated metabolomics profiling technique was used to investigate possible pathways of C. lanatus in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI). Isoproterenol causes long-term cardiac hypertrophy by causing cardiomyocyte compensatory loss, eventually leading to heart failure.Methods: In vitro models of vasoconstriction, atrium, and in vivo models of invasive blood pressure measurement and isoproterenol (ISO) induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats were used to understand underlying mechanistic by LC-MS/MS based dynamic metabolomics analysis of the serum and heart samples to be investigated the effect of ethanolic extract of C. lanatus (Cl.EtOH).Results: Cl.EtOH exhibited vasorelaxant, negative chronotropic, and inotropic effects in in-vitro models whereas, a potent hypotensive effect was observed in normotensive rats. The Cl.EtOH protected the animals from ISO-induced myocardial infarction (MI) with therapeutic interventions in left ventricular thickness, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, mRNA gene expression, biochemical assays, and metabolomic profiling of serum and heart tissues.Conclusions: For the first time, our study confirmed that C. lanatus seeds (Cl.EtOH) possess significant antihypertensive and prevent ISO-induced myocardial infarction. These findings comprehensively demonstrated mechanistic insights of Cl.EtOH in vasorelaxation and myocardial infarction. The current study provides evidence for further mechanistic studies and the development of C. lanatus seeds as a potential therapeutic intervention for patients with cardiovascular disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Drought evoked the over production of reactive oxygen species. • Sodium nitroprusside maintained redox status and improved water use efficiency. • Sodium nitroprusside water use efficiency and phytopharmaceutical production. • Sodium nitroprusside increased essential oil yield and improved its quality. Nitric oxide (NO) represents a crucial signal particle that plays a pivotal function in plant development, but its roles in improving drought tolerance in marjoram still unknown. The protective roles of foliage-spraying NO (as sodium nitroprusside, SNP; 0, 30, and 60 μM) on inducing drought tolerance in marjoram herb was evaluated by measuring the antioxidant defense system and phytopharmaceutical characteristics in an outdoor pot experiment. Under well-watered, SNP (30 and 60 μM) application significantly enhanced growth, essential oil (EO) yield, up-regulating antioxidant system, and improved water use efficiency (WUE) compared to untreated plants (0 μM SNP). Drought significantly inhibited marjoram growth, WUE, EO yield, catalase, and peroxidase activity as well as herbal extract reducing power and reflective index, whereas oxidative biomarkers (hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl group accumulation, and electrolyte leakage) and EO specific gravity were drastically amplified relative to well-watered plants in the absence of SNP. Alternatively, under drought, SNP application mitigated drought induced-oxidative burst and improved WUE that associated with increasing plant biomass and EO assimilation relative to those in drought-affected herbs only. Phytopharmaceuticals of herbal extract (ascorbic acid, total soluble phenol, anthocyanin, and flavonoid) were significantly improved by drought and/or SNP foliar application. The promotive roles of SNP in moderating the depressing effect of drought on marjoram was attributable to up-regulating antioxidant capacity, improving secondary metabolite assimilation, and increasing WUE that accelerate drought tolerance and EO yield as well as improved EO fractions. The existing outcomes open innovative opportunities for obtaining precious natural antioxidants and phytopharmaceuticals by using arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid industrialization and extensive agricultural practices are the major causes of soil heavy metal contamination, which needs urgent attention to safeguard the soils from contamination. However, the phytotoxic effects of excessive metals in plants are the primary obstacle to efficient phytoextraction. The present study evaluated the effects of hesperidin (HSP) on metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn) phytoextraction by hyperaccumulator (Celosia argentea L.) plants. For this purpose, HSP, a flavonoid compound with strong antioxidant potential to assist metal phytoextraction was used under metal stress in plants. Celosia argentea plants suffered significant (P ≤ 0.001) oxidative damage due to the colossal accumulation of metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn). However, HSP supplementation notably (P ≤ 0.001) abated ROS generation (O 2 •‒, •OH, H 2 O 2), lipoxygenase activity, methylglyoxal production, and relative membrane permeability that clearly indicated HSP-mediated decline in oxidative injury in plants. Exogenous HSP improved (P ≤ 0.001) the production of non-protein thiol, phytochelatins, osmolytes, and antioxidant compounds. Further, HSP enhanced (P ≤ 0.001) H 2 S and NO endogenous production, which might have improved the GSH: GSSG ratio. Consequently, HSP-treated C. argentea plants had higher biomass alongside elevated metal accumulation mirrored as profound modifications in translocation factor (TF), bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC), and bioconcentration factor (BCF). In this context, HSP significantly enhanced TF of Cr (P ≤ 0.001), Cd (P ≤ 0.001), and Zn (P ≤ 0.01), while BAC of Cr (P ≤ 0.001), Cd (P ≤ 0.001), and Zn (P ≤ 0.001). Further, BCF was significant (P ≤ 0.05) only in plants grown under Cr-spiked soil. Overall, HSP has the potential for phytoremediation of metals by C. argentea , which might be a suitable strategy for metal-polluted soils. • Hesperidin mitigated oxidative damage in plants under metal toxicity. • Hesperidin maintained redox balance in plants under excess metal toxicity. • Hesperidin augmented phytoextraction of Cr, Cd, and Zn by C. argentea. • Hesperidin improved H 2 S and nitric oxide levels in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZn) have emerged as vital agents in combating arsenic (As) stress in plants. However, their role in mitigation of As induced oxidative stress is less studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the comparative role of nZn and ZnO in alleviating As toxicity in rice genotype "9311". The results of this study revealed that nZn demonstrated superior efficacy compared to ZnO in mitigating As toxicity. This superiority can be attributed to the unique size and structure of nZn, which enhances its ability to alleviate As toxicity. Exposure to As at a concentration of 25 μM L-1 led to significant reductions in shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight by 39%, 51%, 30%, and 46%, respectively, while the accumulation of essential nutrients such as magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) decreased by 25%–47% compared to the control plants. Additionally, As exposure resulted in stomatal closure and structural damage to vital cellular components such as grana thylakoids (GT), starch granules (SG), and the nucleolus. However, the application of nZn at a concentration of 30 mg L−1 exhibited significant alleviation of As toxicity, resulting in a reduction of As accumulation by 54% in shoots and 62% in roots of rice seedlings. Furthermore, nZn demonstrated the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) and superoxide anion (O 2 .-), while significantly promoted the gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll content (SPAD value), fluorescence efficiency (F v/m) and antioxidant enzyme activities under As-induced stress. These findings highlight the potential of nZn in mitigating the adverse impacts of As contamination in rice plants. However, further research is necessary to fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms responsible for the protective effects of nZn and to determine the optimal conditions for their application in real-world agricultural settings. [Display omitted] • Aarsenic (As) exposure led to a decrease in the nutritional profile, resulting in reduced rice biomass. • Zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZn) effectively mitigated As toxicity in rice. • nZn played a vital role in enhancing plant growth and improving the physio-biochemical profile under As stress. • nZn offers a sustainable solution for rice cultivation in agriculture fields contaminated with heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]