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In the current study, the antimicrobial, phytotoxic, haemagglutination and antioxidant potential of crude methanolic extract (Crd. MeOH Ext.) and four organic fractions of Arisaema tortuosum was investigated. All fractions have been screened for antimicrobial properties against eight bacterial pathogens and six fungal pathogens using agar well diffusion and tube dilution method, respectively. Furthermore, the organic fractions were also screened for its phytotoxicity against Lemna minor. Haemagglutination was performed against all human blood groups while free radical scavenging activity was performed to investigate the antioxidant potential of A. tortuosum. Results obtained for antibacterial activity exhibited various degree of zone of inhibition and significant activity was observed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.16±0.60) followed by Bacillus cereus (18.55±0.69) for Crd. MeOH Ext. and chloroform (CHCl3) fraction, respectively while some strains showed resistant at same concentration. Similarly, non-significant antifungal activity was observed for the plant extracts. However, the highest activity among the strains was observed for Alternaria alternata (22±1.24%) and Aspergillus niger (20±1.00%) for ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction and Crd. MeOH Ext., respectively. The plant extracts showed good phytotoxic activity with 77.06% inhibition for n-hexane fraction at 1000µg/mL. The result of Nitric Oxide (NO) reducing assay revealed that the plant has less antioxidant activity with 46.06% inhibition for CHCl(3) fraction at 900μg/mL. For haemagglutination assay, the result displayed no agglutination in all the testing concentration. Based on the current results, it can be concluded that A. tortuosum has significant antimicrobial and moderate phytotoxic potential and therefore can leads to antibiotics and herbicide production.

In recent years, much attention has been focused on the antioxidant potential of different phenolic acids. But still no theoretical investigation is reported on the antioxidant potential of Homogentisic and Orsellinic acids. In this study, computational investigation based on the density functional theory (DFT) has been carried out to understand the antioxidant potential of Homogentisic and Orsellinic acids. The bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) of O-H, spin densities and electronic properties such as dipole moment, ionization potential, electron affinity, HOMO and LUMO energies, electronegativity, electrophilic index, energy gap, softness and hardness have been calculated. These properties show that both phenolic acids are good antioxidants. Comparison of BDE of Homogentisic and Orsellinic acids with many other phenolic acids also indicate the good antioxidant potential of these compounds. Homogentisic acid has very high antioxidant potential due to the presence of semiquinone structure. This study will be helpful for the better utilization of these compounds in pharmaceutical and food industry.

Soil salinization is a serious environmental problem worldwide. To explore the comparative effects of soil salinity and sodicity on physiological, biochemical and nutritional quality attributes of four quinoa genotypes (A1, A7, Puno, Vikinga), pot and field experiments were performed on non‐saline soil and two types of salt‐affected soils designated as SS1 (saline) and SS2 (saline‐sodic). The results of both the experiments showed similar reduction pattern in biomass (11%–44%), chlorophyll content (10%–36%), stomatal conductance (18%–32%) and grain yield (30%–47%) of four genotypes on SS2 compared with SS1. Higher sodicity level of SS2 resulted in more Na accumulation (23%–40%) and oxidative damage (12%–35% decrease in membrane stability) leading to an increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) in all the genotypes. Grain mineral contents (except Na and Mg) were decreased more in SS2 than SS1. Multivariate analysis revealed that grain Na content has negative correlation with all the nutritional quality attributes except Mg and fibre contents. Genotypes A1 and A7 were more salt tolerant with better grain nutritional quality than Puno and Vikinga. It is concluded that soil sodicity is more detrimental than salinity, and quinoa genotypes A1 and A7 are better than Puno and Vikinga for cultivation on saline and saline‐sodic soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Contamination of soil with salinity and Cd negatively affects growth and productivity of plants. The proposed study has been planned to explore the effects of salinity on Cd uptake, tolerance and phytoremediation potential of conocarpus (Conocarpus erectus L.). One-month-old uniform plants of conocarpus were exposed to 0, 8.9, 44.5, 89 and 178 µM Cd alone or in combination with 0, 100 and 200 mM NaCl in Hoagland's nutrient solution. Results revealed that shoot and root biomasses, leaf water content and pigment content decreased more in response to combination of Cd and salinity compared to Cd alone. The Na+ and Cl- concentrations in shoot and root were not affected by Cd alone, but increased in Cd + salinity treatments. The K+ concentration decreased by Cd alone as well as Cd combination with salinity. Plant Cd uptake increased in the presence of salinity but its translocation from root to shoot remained unaffected. Exposure of plants to Cd alone and Cd + salinity caused oxidative stress via overproduction of H 2 O 2 and inducing lipid peroxidation. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, POD and APX increased to mitigate this oxidative stress. It is concluded that the tolerance of conocarpus against Cd stress is decreased in the presence of salinity due to increased uptake of toxic ions and intensification of oxidative stress. Moreover, the Cd uptake behavior of this tree indicates its suitability for phytostabilization of Cd contaminated saline and non-saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both salinity and cadmium (Cd) contamination of soils are the most critical issues of global food security. Soil application of biochar could decrease toxic metal and sodium (Na) uptake by plants in the season, but its long-term residual effects on metal uptake in latter crops need evaluation. A pot experiment with rice was conducted under ambient conditions in a Cdcontaminated soil which was used in an earlier experiment on wheat where soil was treated with different rates of biochar (0, 3, and 5% w/w) and irrigated with water having different salinity levels (0, 25, and 50 mM). Further treatments were not applied in the current study. The results revealed that plant growth and photosynthesis reduced while Cd and Na concentrations and oxidative stress were increased in plants under combined Cd and salinity. Biochar application reduced the Cd and Na concentrations and increased the potassium (K) concentrations in plants while diminished the oxidative stress in salt-stressed rice. Biochar positively affected the plant growth and physiology in a soil treated with 0, and 25 mM salt stress. However, plant growth and photosynthesis were reduced with biochar amendments under 50 mM NaCl stress. Soil AB-DTPA extractable Cd was higher in salinized soil without biochar addition, while biochar reduced the Cd extractability. It can be concluded that all biochar amendments had a significant residual effect on decreasing Cd and Na uptake while plant growth was negatively affected at higher biochar and salinity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron (B) is an essential nutrient required in very small amount by crop plants and it can become toxic to plants when present in slightly higher amount. Increasing concentration of B is often found in association with salinity. The presence of salinity and high B may result in synergistic or antagonistic effects on plant growth. A hydroponic trial was conducted to evaluate the influence of various levels of B on the growth, physiological and biochemical responses of salt tolerant and sensitive wheat genotypes under saline conditions. The present study comprised of twelve treatments including four rates of B (control, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mM) and three levels of salinity (control, 100 and 200 mM NaCl). Two salt tolerant (SARC-I and Sehar-2006) and two salt sensitive (Koistan-90 and MH-97) wheat genotypes were used. The tested salt tolerant and sensitive wheat genotypes showed significant variations and responded differently to salinity and B individually as well as in combination. The salt tolerant genotypes showed better growth due to high antioxidant activity, maintenance of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance and low leaf Na, B and Cl concentration in the presence of individual and combined stresses of salinity and high B as compared to sensitive genotypes. The highest level of salinity and B in combination caused the highest reduction in plant growth as compared to their respective controls. However the interactive effect of salinity and boron was antagonistic as increasing salinity reduced boron toxicity while increasing boron reduced harmful effects of salinity on growth and physiological attributes of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this research was to conduct a theoretical investigation into the antioxidant properties of chlorogenic acid. Calculations based on the density functional theory were performed using the B3LYP exchange-correlation functional and the 6-311G standard basis set to determine the theoretical parameters, such as bond dissociation enthalpy and spin density. H atom abstraction from −OH groups was the most representative reaction pathway chosen for this study. From these calculations, it was estimated that bond dissociation enthalpies of hydroxyl groups were in the order of 3’-OH > 4’-OH > 2-OH > 1-OH. Spin densities of O-atoms of free radicals formed (after the removal of H atoms) from the hydroxyl groups of aromatic rings were lower than that of hydroxyl groups of alicyclic rings. On the basis of the calculated results, H atom abstraction from −OH groups of aromatic ring should be the main mechanism for the antioxidant potential of chlorogenic acid. Moreover, a comparison of bond dissociation enthalpy values for different phenolic acid antioxidants showed that the chlorogenic acid is a potent antioxidant. This theoretical investigation might be helpful for the future applications of chlorogenic acid in the field of the pharmacy and food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Salinity is a major environmental stress that is reducing crop yield, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It is responsible for many physiological and biochemical disorders in plants. To investigate its effects on two acacia species, namely Acacia ampliceps Maslin and Acacia nilotica L., a solution-culture experiment was conducted in which both species were exposed to NaCl concentrations of 100 and 200 mmol·L-1. After four weeks of salinity stress, plants were harvested, and physical-growth data were recorded. The membrane stability index and activities of antioxidants enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase were determined using standard methods. Root exudates were collected for the analysis of organic acids, i.e., citric acid and tartaric acid. Root ash alkalinity was also measured. The results indicated that salinity stress caused a significant increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and in the release of organic acids in both species. Higher activities of antioxidant enzymes resulted in less damage to membranes and produced more shoot and root biomass in A. ampliceps than in A. nilotica. Likewise, having more rhizosphere acidification enabled A. ampliceps to respond in a better way to salinity stress than A. nilotica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the antioxidant potential of salicylic acid and its derivatives was determined. O-H bond dissociation enthalpy ionization potential and spin densities were computed, which are important characteristics of antioxidants. We have designed new antioxidants on the basis of information obtained from the results of this study and a literature review. O-H bond dissociation enthalpy, ionization potential, and spin densities of designed compounds were also calculated to analyze the effect of the size of the heterocyclic ring, the electronegativity of the heteroatom, the number of hydroxyl groups, and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The results reveal that compounds with a larger heterocyclic ring, fewer electronegative atoms, and greater number of hydroxyl groups have enhanced antioxidant activity. A comparison of bond dissociation enthalpy of designed compounds IIIA and IV with that of phenolic acid antioxidants shows that these designed compounds are potent antioxidants. From statistical analysis, it is found that for designed compounds, good correlation was found between spin density and bond dissociation enthalpy. The present theoretical investigation will provide help to understand the biological activity of salicylic acid and its derivatives for better utilization in the fields of pharmacy and the food industry. New antioxidants with better antioxidant activity can be synthesized on the basis of the results of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed priming with sorghum water extract (SWE) enhances crop tolerance to salinity stress; however, the application of SWE under salinity for camelina crop has not been documented so far. This study evaluated the potential role of seed priming with SWE in improving salt stress tolerance in camelina. Primed (with 5% SWE and distilled water-hydropriming) and nonprimed seeds were sown under control (no salt) and salt stress (10 dS m−1) conditions. Salinity reduced camelina's emergence and growth, while seed priming with SWE improved growth under control and stress conditions. Under salt stress, seed priming with SWE enhanced emergence percentage (96.98%), increased root length (82%), shoot length (32%), root dry weight (75%), shoot dry weight (33%), α-amylase activity (66.43%), chlorophyll content (60–92%), antioxidant enzymes activity (38–171%) and shoot K+ ion (60%) compared with nontreated plants. Similarly, under stress conditions, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and shoot Na+ ion were reduced by 60, 31, and 40% by seed priming with SWE, respectively, over the nonprimed seeds. Therefore, seed priming with SWE may be used to enhance the tolerance against salt stress in camelina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses which negatively affects plant growth and development. The current study evaluated the effects of drought on the growth, physiology, and biochemical attributes of wheat seedlings; and examined the role of foliar application of ZnO nanoparticles in alleviating drought-induced effects. Two wheat cultivars i.e., Anaj-2017 and FSD-2018 were grown in soil-filled pots and were subjected to 100% field capacity (FC) (well watered) and 50% of FC (drought stress). Whilst different treatments of ZnO nanoparticles spray included no spray, water spray, and 50, 100, and 150 ppm ZnO. Results demonstrated that drought caused a significant reduction in seedling fresh and dry weights, photosynthetic pigmentation, and antioxidant activities compared with a well-watered treatment. Nevertheless, the application of 100 and 150 ppm of ZnO nanoparticles effectively ameliorated the negative effects of drought and enhanced the performance of both cultivars under drought. Data revealed a significant increase in fresh and dry weight of shoot and root with the application of ZnO nanoparticles. A substantial increase of 73.68% and 28.51% in chlorophyll "a" and 26.15% and 50.02% in chlorophyll "b" was recorded with the application of 100 ppm of ZnO nanoparticles in Anaj-2017 and FSD-2018, respectively over control (0 ppm). The application of these nanoparticles also triggered the antioxidant defense system and protected the crop from oxidative damage. Averaged across different stress treatments, application of 150 and 100 ppm of ZnO nanoparticles increased the peroxidase activity by 60% and 72% in FSD-2018, and 15% and 23% in Anaj-2017, respectively compared with no spray. FSD-2018 outperformed Anaj-2017 regarding its overall performance under ZnO treatments and drought conditions. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that ZnO nanoparticles ameliorated the negative impacts of drought by improving the growth, physiology, and antioxidant defense of both wheat cultivars. • Drought reduced seedling growth, photosynthetic pigmentation, and antioxidant activities. • ZnO NPS efficiently improved growth, and photosynthetic pigments. • ZnO NPs triggered antioxidant defense system for lowering oxidative stress. • FSD-2018 outperformed Anaj-2017 regarding its overall performance under drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine piroplasmosis is an endemic tick-borne disease of horses and other equids that is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. The study was aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis during different seasons at district Sargodha located in central Punjab, Pakistan. For the detection of seropositive animals among sampled horses, the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was performed against samples collected periodically during the four seasons of the year. On average basis, overall 36% of sampled horses were found seropositive with T. equi infection. Following the evaluation of seropositivity, subsequent estimation of oxidative stress biomarkers indicated that during winter season, total oxidant status (TOS) was found significantly (P≤0.05) increased while total antioxidant capacity (TAC), arylesterase and paraoxonase activity were found significantly decreased (P≤0.05) in seropositive horses as compared to healthy horses. Moreover, hematological parameters including red blood cells count, white blood cells count, MID and MID% were found significantly (P≤0.05) decreased while platelets, number of lymphocytes, number of granulocytes, and the percentage of lymphocytes were found significantly (P≤0.05) increased in seropositive horses as compared to seronegative horses in different seasons. In conclusion, we found that equine piroplasmosis markedly affect the oxidative stress biomarkers in seropositive horses primarily during the winter season as compared to all other seasons highlighting the seasonal impact of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]