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Biomass and morphological characteristics of plant species provide essential insight into how well a species adapts to its environment. The study aims to evaluate how environmental variables (viz., altitude, slope, aspect degree, and soil properties) influence the morphological traits and biomass variability of Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton in a semi-arid environment. C. procera sample locations were divided into 39 permanent sites (5×5 = 25 m2). Slope, aspect degree, slope aspect, altitude, and soil variables (soil moisture, organic matter, nitrogen (N %), and phosphorus (P) gradients were used to quantify morphological parameters (height, diameters, canopy area, volume, and leave/branch biomass) and aboveground biomass. Environmental variables, i.e., altitude and aspect degree, were the most important factor influencing the biomass variation and affecting soil moisture content; however, they did not directly affect the total biomass of the species. The results also reveal significant plasticity in morphological traits exists concerning elevation and aspect degree at (p< 0.05). Plant volume was a better indicator of species’ total biomass revealed from the regression model showing significant at p< 0.05. The study also reveals that soil properties such as soil moisture and Phosphorus have an important role in enhancing the productivity of the studied plant species. The results concluded that plants functional traits and biomass shows significant variation across the altitude and these parameters could be consider in the conservation of this native species.

The study reports an innovative approach on sunlit driven heterostructure photocatalytic generation of H2O2 and removal of cefixime. In the present work, we have fabricated Mn/Mg doped CoFe2O4 modified CaCr2O4 deco-rated by Ag3PO4 quantum dots (Ag3PO4 QDs), a p-n-p nano heterojunction. The study promotes the photo-catalytic production of H2O2 and self-Fenton photocatalytic degradation of cefixime. Egg white-assisted synthesis of Mn-doped CoFe2O4 causes the lattice oxygen defect, which enhances the photocatalytic activity. Lattice ox-ygen defect enable the adsorption of O2, which enable the conversion of center dot O2 in the valence band of CoFe2O4 for the endogenous production of H2O2. The higher in the surface area enhance the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. Mn-CoFe2O4-CaCr2O4-Ag3PO4 QDs enables the complete photocatalytic degradation of cefixime (99.9%) and the complete removal was determined by total organic carbon (TOC) removal and it was around 99.4%. Meanwhile the photocatalytic degradation pathway of cefixime was determined by LC-MS/MS. Reusability of the nano heterojunction was determined by six cycle test, and the reusability of the nano heter-ojunction was 99.8%. Further, the toxicity of the nanomaterial was studied in maize plant and the results shows that the nanoheterojunction enhances the maize growth. The study systematically reveals the robust activity of nano heterojunction for sustainable water treatment.

Heavy metal pollution is one of the major agronomic challenges. Tungsten (W) exposure leads to its accumulation in plants, which in turn reduces plant growth, inhibits photosynthesis and induces oxidative damage. In addition, the predicted increase in CO2 could boost plant growth under both optimal and heavy metal stress conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of W on growth, photosynthetic parameters, oxidative stress and redox status in rye plants under ambient and elevated (eCO(2)) levels. To this end, rye plants were grown under the following conditions: ambient CO2 (aCO(2), 420 ppm), elevated CO2 (eCO(2), 720 ppm), W stress (350 mg kg(-1) soil) and W+eCO(2). W stress induced significant (p < 0.05) decreases in growth and photosynthesis, increases in oxidative damages (lipid peroxidation) and the antioxidant defense system, i.e., ascorbate (ASC), reduced glutathione (GSH), GSH reductase (GR), peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ASC peroxide (APX) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). On the other hand, eCO(2) decreased W uptake and improved photosynthesis, which sequentially improved plant growth. The obtained results showed that eCO(2) can decrease the phytotoxicity risks of W in rye plants. This positive impact of eCO(2) on reducing the negative effects of soil W was related to their ability to enhance plant photosynthesis, which in turn provided energy and a carbon source for scavenging the reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation caused by soil W stress.

The potential of microalgae to produce valuable compounds has garnered considerable attention. However, there are various challenges that hinder their large-scale industrial utilization, such as high production costs and the complexities associated with achieving optimal growth conditions. Therefore, we investigated the effects of glycine at different concentrations on the growth and bioactive compounds production of Synechocystis sp. PAK13 and Chlorella variabilis cultivated under nitrogen availability. Glycine supplementation resulted in increased biomass and bioactive primary metabolites accumulation in both species. Sugar production, particularly glucose content, significantly improved in Synechocystis at 3.33 mM glycine (1.4 mg/g). This led to enhanced organic acid, particularly malic acid, and amino acids production. Glycine stress also influenced the concentration of indole-3-acetic acid, which was significantly higher in both species compared to the control. Furthermore, fatty acids content increased by 2.5-fold in Synechocystis and by 1.36-fold in Chlorella. Overall, the exogenous application of glycine is a cheap, safe, and effective approach to enhancing sustainable microalgal biomass and bioproducts production.

Increases in atmospheric CO2 is known to promote plant growth under heavy metals stress conditions. However, vanadium (V) stress mitigating the impact of eCO(2) as well as the physiological and biochemical bases of this stress mitigation have not been well studied. To this end, this study investigated the growth, photosynthetic parameters, oxidative damages antioxidants, and antioxidants enzymes in wheat plants grown under ambient (420 PPM) and high eCO(2) (720 ppm) levels. Exposing wheat plants to higher V increased its accumulation in plants which consequentially inhibited plant growth and induced oxidative damage. An increase in antioxidant and detoxification defense systems was observed but it was not enough to reduce V stress toxicity. On the other hand, wheat growth was improved as a result of reduced V uptake and toxicity on photosynthesis under eCO(2). To reduce V uptake, wheat accumulated citric acid, and oxalic acid in soil preferentially under both treatments but to more extend under V and eCO(2). Additionally, improved photosynthesis induced high carbon availability that was directed to produce chelating proteins (metallothioneins, phytochelatin) and antioxidants (phenolics, flavonoids, total antioxidant capacity). This study advances our knowledge of the processes behind the variations in the physiological and biochemical responses of the wheat crop under V and eCO(2) conditions.

Elevated CO2 (eCO(2)) reduces the impact of drought, but the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. Therefore, we used a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the interaction of drought and eCO(2) in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. Transcriptome and subsequent metabolite analyses identified a strong induction of the aliphatic glucosinolate (GL) biosynthesis as a main effect of eCO(2) in drought-stressed leaves. Transcriptome results highlighted the upregulation of ABI5 and downregulation of WRKY63 transcription factors (TF), known to enhance and inhibit the expression of genes regulating aliphatic GL biosynthesis (e.g., MYB28 and 29 TFs), respectively. In addition, eCO(2) positively regulated aliphatic GL biosynthesis by MYB28/29 and increasing the accumulation of GL precursors. To test the role of GLs in the stress-mitigating effect of eCO(2), we investigated the effect of genetic perturbations of the GL biosynthesis. Overexpression of MYB28, 29 and 76 improved drought tolerance by inducing stomatal closure and maintaining plant turgor, whereas loss of cyp79f genes reduced the stress-mitigating effect of eCO(2) and decreased drought tolerance. Overall, the crucial role of GL metabolism in drought stress mitigation by eCO(2) could be a beneficial trait to overcome future climate challenges.

Rice is a highly valuable crop consumed all over the world. Soil pollution, more specifically chromium (Cr), decreases rice yield and quality. Future climate CO2 (eCO(2)) is known to affect the growth and yield of crops as well as the quality parameters associated with human health. However, the detailed physiological and biochemical responses induced by Cr in rice grains produced under eCO(2) have not been deeply studied. Cr (200 and 400 mg Cr6+/Kg soil) inhibited rice yield and photosynthesis in Sakha 106, but to less extend in Giza 181 rice cultivar. Elevated CO2 reduced Cr accumulation and, consequently, recovered the negative impact of the higher Cr dose, mainly in Sakha 106. This could be explained by improved photosynthesis which was consistent with increased carbohydrate level and metabolism (starch synthases and amylase). Moreover, these increases provided a route for the biosynthesis of organic, amino and fatty acids. At grain quality level, eCO(2) differentially mitigated Cr stress-induced reductions in minerals (e.g., P, Mg and Ca), proteins (prolamin, globulin, albumin, glutelin), unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., C20:2 and C24:1) and antioxidants (phenolics and total antioxidant capacity) in both cultivars. This study provided insights into the physiological and biochemical bases of eCO(2)-induced grain yield and quality of Cr-stressed rice.

The hormone gibberellin (GA) controls plant growth and regulates growth responses to environmental stress. In monocotyledonous leaves, GA controls growth by regulating division-zone size. We used a systems approach to investigate the establishment of the GA distribution in the maize leaf growth zone to understand how drought and cold alter leaf growth. By developing and parameterizing a multiscale computational model that includes cell movement, growth-induced dilution and metabolic activities, we revealed that the GA distribution is predominantly determined by variations in GA metabolism. Considering wild-type and UBI::GA20-OX-1 leaves, the model predicted the peak in GA concentration, which has been shown to determine division-zone size. Drought and cold modified enzyme transcript levels, although the model revealed that this did not explain the observed GA distributions. Instead, the model predicted that GA distributions are also mediated by post-transcriptional modifications increasing the activity of GA20oxidase in drought and of GA2oxidase in cold, which we confirmed by enzyme activity measurements. This work provides a new, mechanistic understanding of the GA metabolism in plant growth regulation.

Arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) symbiosis is an indispensable approach in sustainable agriculture. AMF-plant association is likely to be enhanced by the nanoparticle's application. Herein, the impact of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) on the mycorrhizal colonization in wheat has been investigated. The provoked changes in wheat growth, physiology and metabolism were assessed. CSNPs treatment improved AMF colonization (52 %) by inducing the levels of auxins and strigolactones in roots by 32 and 21 %, respectively besides flavonoids exudation into the rhizosphere (9 %). Such supporting action of CSNPs was associated with improved plant biomass production (21 %) compared to AMF treatment. Both treatments synergistically enhanced the photo-chemical efficiency of photosystem II and stomatal conductance, therefore the photosynthetic rate was increased. The combined application of CSNPs and AMF enhanced accumulation of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch (12, 22, 31 and 13 %, respectively), as well as the activities of sucrose-p-synthase, invertases and starch synthase compared to AMF treatment. The synchronous application of CSNPs and AMF promoted the levels of poly -phenols, carotenoids, and tocopherols therefore, improved antioxidant capacity (33 %), in the roots. CSNPs can be applied as an efficient biofertilization strategies to enhance plant growth and fitness, beside improvement of health promoting compounds in wheat.

In this study, 3D BiOI nanoparticle (BOI NPs) modified MgCr2O4 nanoparticle (MCO NPs) was fabricated by simple sonochemical and coprecipitation method for the enhanced photocatalytic activity. The morphological structure of the MgCr2O4-BiOI nanocomposite (MCO-BOI NCs) was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), electron impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and photo luminescence (PL). The lower in the PL intensity and small arc in EIS for NCs shows the effective charge separation and lower in rate of recombination of charge carriers in NCs than the pure MCO and BOI NPs. The degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) and malachite green (MG) by MCO-BOI NCs was found to be 99.5% and 98.2% receptivity. In addition, the photo catalytic degradation of RhB and MG was studied under various environmental parameters (different pH, varying the concentration of NCs and dyes) and response surface (RSM) plot was performed. The complete mineralization of RhB and MG by MCO-BOI NCs was determined by TOC. In addition, the photocatalytic degradation pathway was elucidated based on GC-MS results and Fukui function. In addition, the toxicity of intermediate formed during the degradation of RhB and MG was predicted by ECOSAR. The present work highlights the application of MCO-BOI NCs in environmental remediation for toxic pollutant removal.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial for the plant growth under heavy metal stress. Such beneficial effect is improved by elevated CO2 (eCO(2)). However, the mechanisms by which eCO(2) improves AMF symbiotic associations under arsenite (As-III) toxicity are hardly studied. Herein, we compared these regulatory mechanisms in species from two agronomical important plant families - grasses (wheat) and legumes (soybean). As-III decreased plant growth (i.e., 53.75 and 60.29% of wheat and soybean, respectively) and photosynthesis. It also increased photorespiration and oxidative injury in both species, but soybean was more sensitive to oxidative stress as indicated by higher H(2)O2 accumulation and oxidation of protein and lipid. eCO(2) significantly improved AMF colonization by increasing auxin levels, which induced high carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCDs) activity, particularly in soybean roots. The improved sugar metabolism in plant shoots by co-application of eCO(2) and As-III allocated more sugars to roots sequentially. Sugar accumulation in plant roots is further induced by AMF, resulting in more C skeletons to produce organic acids, which are effectively exudated into the soil to reduce As-III uptake. Exposure to eCO(2) reduced oxidative damage and this mitigation was stronger in soybean. This could be attributed to a greater reduction in photorespiration as well as a stronger antioxidant and detoxification defence systems. The grass/legume-specificity was supported by principal component analysis, which revealed that soybean was more affected by (AsI)-I-III stress and more responsive to AMF and eCO(2). This study provided a mechanistic understanding of the impact of AMF, eCO(2) and their interaction on As-stressed grass and legume plants, allowing better practical strategies to mitigate As-III phytotoxicity.

Ocean acidification is impacting marine life all over the world. Understanding how species can cope with the changes in seawater carbonate chemistry represents a challenging issue. We addressed this topic using underwater CO2 vents that naturally acidify some marine areas off the island of Ischia. In the most acidified area of the vents, having a mean pH value of 6.7, comparable to far-future predicted acidification scenarios (by 2300), the biomass is dominated by the brown alga Sargassum vulgare. The novelty of the present study is the characterization of the S. vulgare proteome together with metabolite analyses to identify the key proteins, metabolites, and pathways affected by ocean acidification. A total of 367 and 387 proteins were identified in populations grown at pH that approximates the current global average (8.1) and acidified sites, respectively. Analysis of their relative abundance revealed that 304 proteins are present in samples from both sites: 111 proteins are either higher or exclusively present under acidified conditions, whereas 120 proteins are either lower or present only under control conditions. Functionally, under acidification, a decrease in proteins related to translation and post-translational processes and an increase of proteins involved in photosynthesis, glycolysis, oxidation-reduction processes, and protein folding were observed. In addition, small-molecule metabolism was affected, leading to a decrease of some fatty acids and antioxidant compounds under acidification. Overall, the results obtained by proteins and metabolites analyses, integrated with previous transcriptomic, physiological, and biochemical studies, allowed us to delineate the molecular strategies adopted by S. vulgare to grow in future acidified environments, including an increase of proteins involved in energetic metabolism, oxidation-reduction processes, and protein folding at the expense of proteins involved in translation and post-translational processes.

The present study focused on the enhancement of degradation of an important pharmaceutical pollutant, tetracycline with the help of nano photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. The study found that the synergetic effect of novel MgFe2O4-V2O5 enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. Here, the photocatalyst was synthesized by sonochemical technique. Scanning electron microscopy image indicates the coupling of MgFe2O4 nanocapsules on the surface of the V2O5 nanorod. The bandgap of MgFe2O4 (1.8 eV) and V2O5 (2.5 eV) was shifted to 2.32 eV in MgFe2O4-V2O5 to promote visible-light harvesting and it was depicted by the UV-visible DRS. XPS was used to identify the presence of chemical states with the existence of Mg 1s, Fe 2p, V 2p, and O 1s. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra indicate the better separation of charge carriers owing to the formation of type II heterojunction formation. The tetracycline (25 mg/L) was degraded with MgFe2O4-V2O5 (150 mg/L) that exhibited 3.3 and 5 folds enhanced rates than its counterparts (MgFe2O4 and V2O5 ) owing to synergism. The possible intermediate formation and degradation pathway was determined based on GC/MS analysis. TOC analysis of end products indicated maximum mineralization of tetracycline. The MgFe2O4-V2O5 & nbsp; showed excellent recycling ability and reusability. The key photo degradation of tetracycline was occurred by the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The MgFe2O4-V2O5 exhibited high antibacterial activity that ensures the dual functionality of the prepared nanocomposites (NCs). Therefore, the present study displays MgFe2O4 decorated V2O5 nanorod as an ideal candidate for environmental remediation.

Soil contamination with indium (In) oxide nanoparticles (In2O3-NPs) threatens plant growth and development. However, their toxicity in plants under ambient (aCO(2)) and elevated (eCO(2)) conditions is scarcely studied. To this end, this study was conducted to investigate In2O3-NPs toxicity in the young and old leaves of C3 (barley) and C4 (maize) plants and to understand the mechanisms underlying the stress mitigating impact of eCO(2). Treatment of C3 and C4 plants with In2O3-NPs significantly reduced growth and photosynthesis, induced oxidative damage (H2O2, lipid peroxidation), and impaired P and Fe homeostasis, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. On the other hand, this phytotoxic hazard was mitigated by eCO(2) which improved both C3 and C4 growth, decreased In accumulation and increased phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) uptake, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. Moreover, the improved photosynthesis by eCO(2) accordingly enhanced carbon availability under the challenge of In2O3-NPs that were directed to the elevated production of metabolites involved in antioxidant and detoxification systems. Our physiological and biochemical analyses implicated the role of the antioxidant defenses, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) in stress mitigation under eCO(2). This was validated by studying the effect of In2O3-stress on a transgenic maize line (TG) constitutively overexpressing the AtFeSOD gene and its wild type (WT). Although it did not alter In accumulation, the TG plants showed improved growth and photosynthesis and reduced oxidative damage. Overall, this work demonstrated that C3 was more sensitive to In2O3-NPs stress; however, C4 plants were more responsive to eCO(2). Moreover, it demonstrated the role of SOD in determining the hazardous effect of In2O3-NPs.

In this work, ZnFe2O4 was coupled with ZnO nanorods for the development of ZnO/ZnFe2O4 & nbsp;heterojunction. The particles were synthesized via a simple co-precipitation assisted solvothermal method. The existence of elements, morphology, structure and the nature of the prepared nanomaterials were characterized using several characterization techniques such as SEM, TEM, EDAX, XPS, FTIR, XRD, Raman, UV-vis DRS, PL, EIS and ESR. The catalyst containing 60% doped ZnFe2O4 & nbsp;showed the best performance amongst others (20% and 40%) and the controls. ZnO/ZnFe2O4-60 showed 94% degradation efficiency against tetracycline in 240 min under visible light with a rate constant of 0.011 min(-1). The mechanism of degradation was explained using the results obtained from the scavenging experiments. The TOC analysis confirmed the complete mineralization of the TC by the NCs. The intermediate compound formed was identified and the degradation pathway was elucidated by GC-MS analysis and the plausible pathway was further confirmed according to the values obtained from the Fukui function. The reusability and stability studies reveal the high photo-stable nature of the prepared NCs. Thus, this current work can be considered as a potential candidate for effective the removal of toxic pollutants from wastewater.

Soil contamination with indium oxide nanoparticles (In2O3-NPs) is a challenge for plant growth and productivity. Despite In2O3-NPs toxicity, their effects on plant growth and metabolism are largely unknown, particularly under future climate CO2 (eCO(2)). Therefore, the In2O3-NPs toxicity and stress mitigating impact of eCO(2) in the young and old leaves of C3 (wheat) and C4 (sorghum) plants were investigated. Overall, In2O3-NPs significantly retard the biomass and photosynthetic machinery of all tested crops, particularly the young leaves of C3 plants. Consequently, In2O3-NPs altered C and N metabolism in C3 and C4 plants. On the other hand, eCO(2) contrarily alleviated the hazardous effects of In2O3-NPs on growth and photosynthesis, especially in the young leaves of C4 plants. Increased photosynthesis consequently enhanced the soluble sugars' accumulation and metabolism (e.g., sucrose P synthase, cytosolic, and vacuolar invertase) in all stressed plants, but to a greater extent in C4 young leaves. High sugar availability also induced TCA organic and fatty acids' accumulation. This also provided a route for amino acids and polyamines biosynthesis, where a clear increase in proline biosynthetic enzymes [e.g., pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDH), and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH)] and polyamine metabolic enzymes (e.g., spermine and spermidine synthases, ornithine decarboxylase, and adenosyl methionine decarboxylase) were mainly recorded in C4 young leaves. The observed increases in these metabolites involved in osmo- and redox-regulation to reduce In2O3-NPs induced oxidative damage. Overall, our study, for the first time, shed light on how eCO(2) differentially mitigated In2O3-NPs stress in old and young leaves of different species groups under the threat of In2O3-NPs contamination.

The present study focused on the photocatalytic degradation of 5-Flurouracil (FU), carvedilol (Car), parachlorophenol (PCP) and methimazole (Met) under visible light irradiation by MnWO4/Ag2WO4 (MWO/AWO) nanohybrid. Here, MWO/AWO nanohybrid was characterized by XRD, TEM, EDS, XPS, ESR, EIS, BET and DRS. The band gap energy of the MWO/AWO nanohybrid was found to be 2.75 eV, which enables effective photocatalytic activity of nanohybrid under visible light. The photocatalytic degradation of various PhACs such as Fu, Car, PCP and Met was found to be 98.8, 100, 98 and 98.1% respectively. The degradation efficiency of the MWO/AWO nanohybrid on various PhACs was higher than the pure MWO and AWO nanoparticle. The effective formation of OH center dot and center dot O-2 by MWO/AWO nanohybrid played an important role in degradation of PhACs and it was determined by radical scavenging experiment. Further, the intermediates formed during the photocatalytic process were analyzed by GC-MS/MS to elucidate the photodegradation pathway and the results reveal the complete mineralization of the PhACs. The toxicity of the degraded product was performed against on Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli where it shows that the nanohybrid possesses high relative growth inhibition than AWO and MWO nanoparticles. In addition, the genotoxicity of the nanohybrid against Allium cepa was performed and it exhibited lower toxicity. The synthesized nanohybrid proves to be an excellent photocatalyst with good stability, reusability, eco-friendly, and cost-effective material for implementation in practical applications.

The synthesis of CeO2/MnFe2O4 NCs has been carried out by ultrasonication-assisted co-precipitation method. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis confirmed the embedment of MnFe2O4 over CeO2 with clear lattice fringes. Energy dispersive analysis (EDAX) and elemental mapping confirm the existence of elements including Ce, Mn, Fe, and O. The XRD patterns of the NCs indicated the effective construction of crystalline CeO2/MnFe2O4 NCs with the co-existence of CeO2 and MnFe2O4 in desired molar ratio. The degradation rate constant of CeO2/MnFe2O4 NCs-1:1 under visible light illumination was estimated to be 0.0108 min(-1), which was 2.2 and 2.8 times greater than CeO2 and MnFe2O4 respectively. Here, the study provides a clear insight into the photocatalytic mechanism of the p-n type NCs, which exhibited efficient charge transfer and improved mobility. The scavenging assay and ESR analysis have explicated the major role of & BULL;OH radicals as the dominant reactive oxygen species on the photocatalytic degradation of MB dye. The photocatalytic efficiency of CeO2/ MnFe2O4 NCs-1:1 for MB dye degradation was found to be 86%. The results expressed almost similar degradation & nbsp;efficiency till the 6th cycle and the structural integrity of the NCs was found to be intact even after the photo-degradation. Additionally, a predictive degradation pathway for MB was elucidated by Fukui function-based DFT analysis. The anti-microbial activity of the prepared samples was investigated against S. aureus and E. coli. Hence, the fabricated CeO2/MnFe2O4 NCs-1:1 was concluded with the obtained results and it has been observed to be a potential candidate as an efficient photocatalyst for the elimination of toxic organic pollutants.

Background: Environmental pollution demands the fabrication of suitable nano-photocatalyst that works under white-light irradiation. The effective interfacial engineering is required for better separation of charges.& nbsp;Method: Here, the novel magnetic CaFe2O4-ZnO nanophotocatalyst was synthesized by adopting a sono-chemical method. The CaFe2O4-ZnO was analyzed using HRTEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-visible DRS, BET, EIS, and photoluminescence analysis. The photocatalytic performance of CaFe2O4-ZnO is evaluated by decolouri-zation of Rhodamine B (RhB). Further, the particles' multifunctionality was evaluated by testing its antibacte-rial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli under dark and light.& nbsp;Significant findings: Here, 97.5% of RhB (25 mg/L) was degraded by CaFe2O4-ZnO (60 mg/L) under visible light. The kinetic rate of photocatalysis by CaFe2O4-ZnO was 0.027 min(-1) which was 13.5 and 9 folds higher rela-tive to pristine CaFe(2)O(4 & nbsp;)and ZnO. At pH 9, the RhB displayed higher photodegradation. Trapping experiments indicate Greek ano teleiaOH radical severe a key role in RhB degradation. The formation of p-n interface boosted better charge separation and improved ROS generation. At 50 mg/L CaFe2O4-ZnO, the antibacterial performance under light was 98% against B. subtilis and 99.9% against E. coli. The present study reports CaFe2O4 & nbsp;-ZnO nano-photocatalyst for the effective environmental remediation through photocatalysis and as an antibacterial agent. (C) 2022 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chromium (Cr) contamination reduces crop productivity worldwide. On the other hand, the expected increase in the future CO2 levels (eCO(2)) would improve plant growth under diverse growth conditions. However, the synergetic effect of eCO(2) has not been investigated at both physiological and biochemical levels in Cr-contaminated soil. This study aims to analyze the mitigating effect of eCO(2) on Cr VI phytotoxicity in two rice cultivars (Giza 181 and Sakha 106). Plants are exposed to different Cr concentrations (0, 200 and 400 mg Cr/kg Soil) at ambient (aCO(2)) and eCO(2) (410 and 620 ppm, respectively). Unlike the stress parameters (MDA, H2O2 and protein oxidation), growth and photosynthetic reactions significantly dropped with increasing Cr concentration. However, in eCO(2) conditions, plants were able to mitigate the Cr stress by inducing antioxidants as well as higher concentrations of phytochelatins to detoxify Cr. Notably, the expression levels of the genes involved in mineral nutrition i.e., OsNRAMP1, OsRT1, OsHMA3, OsLCT1 and iron chelate reductase were upregulated in Cr-stressed Giza 181 plants grown under eCO(2). Mainly in Sakha 106, eCO(2) induced ascorbate-glutathione (ASC/GSH)-mediated antioxidative defense system. The present study brings the first ever comprehensive assessment of how future eCO(2) differentially mitigated Cr toxicity in rice.

Background: Water contamination with toxic heavy metals and dye colorants causes a harmful effect on all living organisms and affect ecosystem adversely. In this study, nano-Ag0 decorated porous silica matrix conjugated with alanine was investigated for multifunctionality including mercury (Hg2+) detection, visible-light photocatalytic performance for organic dye degradation, Cr(VI) photoreduction and antibacterial activity. Method: HRTEM and XRD verified the anchoring of crystalline Ag0 on silica matrix with devoid of impure phases. SEM and XPS analysis was carried out before and after Hg2+ interaction with nano-Ag0/silica probe to understand the variation in morphology, interactions, chemical states, and intrinsic mechanism. Significant findings: The LOD of the present probe for the detection of Hg2+ was 12 nM. The Ag0-silica NPs incorporated paper strip and agarose gel was prepared and used for mercury detection by the naked eye. The silica stabilized Ag particles form conjugate with alanine and when it interacts with Hg2+, mercury oxidizes the Ag(0) to Ag (I) by amalgam formation resulting in pale-yellow color changing to colorless. Environmental parameters such as salinity, pH and temperature did not influence Hg2+ detection. In addition, photocatalytic activity of nano-Ag0/silica was tested with cationic methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation that showed 90.3% degradation. Further, the nano-Ag0/silica exhibited significantly superior Cr(VI) photoreduction activity. In addition, gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains showed higher growth inhibition upon exposure to Ag0-silica NPs. (c) 2022 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The fabrication of ZnO based photocatalyst has shown enhanced photocatalytic performance when coupled with ferrites. The wide bandgap of pristine-ZnO constrains its utility beyond UV range, thereby limiting its usage in the visible region. Therefore, p-n type ZnO/CuFe2O4 nanoclusters (NCs) were constructed by indulging ultrasonic assisted chemical co-precipitation method. The internal morphological studies reveal that spherical-like CuFe2O4 is decorated over rod-shaped ZnO. UV-visible DRS spectra showed deviation in band gap energy of CuFe2O4(1.42 eV) and ZnO (3.4 eV) to 2.1 eV for ZnO/CuFe2O4 NCs-20. The apparent degradation rate-constant (k(deg)) of 0.014 min(-1) which was comparatively 2.8 and 1.75 folds greater than pure ZnO (0.005 min(-1)) and CuFe2O4 (0.008 min(-1)), respectively. The hydroxyl radicals ((OH)-O-center dot) were generated productively by the coupled ZnO/CuFe2O4 NCs-20 to bring forth efficient methylene blue (MB) dye degradation when irradiated under visible-light source. The reusable efficiency of ZnO/CuFe2O4 NCs-20 was determined to be 93.14%. This ensures that ZnO/ CuFe2O4 NCs-20 possess greater potential to behave as a photocatalyst for the abatement of toxicity in the aquatic environment.

The development of an efficient and robust photocatalyst is of great importance for the effective treatment of toxic pollutants. In this study, novel Ag3PO4 microspheres were decorated on the nanorod embedded flower-like BiOBr designed for the effective photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) and malachite green (MG) dyes. The synthesized particle was characterized to understand the structural and morphological features using HR-TEM, XRD, SEM, PL, ESR, FT-IR, XPS, EIS and N2 adsorption and desorption. The degradation rate constants for MG (0.0132 min-1) were 3.47 and 3.14 times greater than BiOBr and Ag3PO4. Similarly, the rate constants for MO degradation (0.0151 min-1) are 3.87 and 3.97 times greater than BiOBr and Ag3PO4. The effect of initial MG and MO dye concentration, reaction pH, nanocomposite (NC) concentration was investigated. The NC exhibited excellent visible light photodegradation of 99.8% for MO and 93.4% for MG dyes at 180 min and 200 min respectively. A S-scheme heterojunction were proposed as the possible mechanism for the photodegradation of the dyes. The prepared photocatalyst exhibits excellent structural stability and reusability. The toxicity of the intermediates were predicted by the ecotoxicity analysis using ECOSAR software where the end products were less toxic than parent MG and MO. The degradation pathway were elucidated to predict the possible intermediates and to confirm the complete mineralization of the compound using GC-MS analysis. The proposed study can be implemented for practical application for the degradation of organic pollutants present in the water bodies. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nano-sized arsenic oxide nanoparticles (As2O3-NP) limit crop growth and productivity. As2O3-NP represent a strong environmental hazard. The predicted rise in future atmospheric CO2 could boost plant growth both under optimal and heavy metal stress conditions. So far, the phytotoxicity of As2O3-NP and their interaction with eCO(2) were not investigated at physiological and metabolic levels in crop species groups such as C3 and C4. We investigated how eCO(2) level (620 ppm) alleviated soil As2O3-NP toxicity induced growth and mitigated oxidative damages through analysing photosynthetic parameters, primary (sugars and amino acids) and secondary (phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins) metabolism in C3 (barley) and C4 (maize) plants. Compared to maize, barley accumulated higher As2O3-NP level, which inhibited growth and induced oxidative damage particularly in barley (increased H2O2 and lipid peroxidation). Interestingly, eCO(2) differently mitigated As2O3-NP toxicity on photosynthesis, which consequently improved sugar metabolism. Moreover, high carbon availability in eCO(2) treated plants directed to produce osmo-protectant (soluble sugars and proline) and antioxidants (anthocyanins and tocopherols). In the line with increased proline and anthocyanins, their metabolism was also improved. Notable differences occurred between the two plant species. The ornithine pathway was preferred in maize while in barley proline accumulation was mainly through glutamate pathway. Moreover, under As2O3-NP stress, barley preferentially accumulated anthocyanins while maize accumulated total phenolics and flavonoids. This work contributes to improving our understanding of the differences in growth, physiological and biochemical responses of major crops of two functional photosynthetic groups (C3 and C4 plants) under ambient and elevated CO2 grown under As2O3-NP stress.

Synthesis of MnO2/CuFe2O4 nanocomposites (NCs) was performed by chemical co-precipitation with the assistance of thermal treatment and ultrasonication. Transmission electron microscopic image (TEM) confirmed that CuFe2O4 is embedded over MnO2 with the existence of clear lattice fringes. The SAED pattern attributed to the polycrystallinity of MnO2/CuFe2O4. Elemental mapping and energy dispersive analysis (EDAX) affirms the existence of elements such as Mn, O, Cu and Fe. XRD confirmed the effective construction of crystalline MnO2/CuFe2O4 NCs with the coexistence of MnO2 and CuFe2O4. The degradation rate constant for MB dye by MnO2/CuFe2O4 NCs-20 under white light irradiation was 0.0011 min(-1) which is 2.75 times and 2.2 times higher in comparison with their counter NPs, CuFe2O4 (0.004 min(-1)) and MnO2 (0.005 min(-1)) respectively. The current study confessed the insights into the S-scheme photocatalysts which led to retaining of e(-) and h(+) in the CB of reduction photocatalysts (RP) and VB of oxidation photocatalysts (OP) introducing a strong redox potential. Built-in electric filed between MnO2 and CuFe2O4 was substantiated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and free radical assay. Degradation process admits the pseudo-first order kinetics. The mechanism behind the photocatalysis was explained through the application of free radicals scavengers. The significant generation of center dot OH- by NCs brings forth the degradation of MB dye. The structural stability and reusability of NCs were validated with degradation efficiency by carrying out six cycles of experiments consecutively. There is no difference in the degradation of MB by MnO2/CuFe2O4 NCs-20 until 4th cycle. The efficiency of reusability was found to be 98.91%. The ultimate role of the synthesized MnO2/CuFe2O4 NCs-20 was confessed with the results obtained and it expressed a greater potential to be a photocatalyst to eliminate toxic pollutants from the aquatic resources.

Soil arsenic (As) contamination limits global agricultural productivity. Anthropogenic emissions are causing atmospheric CO2 levels to rise. Elevated CO2 (eCO2) boosts plant growth both under optimal and suboptimal growth conditions. However, the crop-specific interaction between eCO2 and soil arsenic exposure has not been investigated at the whole plant, physiological and biochemical level. Here, we tested the effects of eCO2 (620 ppm) and soil As exposure (mild and severe treatments, 25 and 100 mg As/Kg soil) on growth, photosynthesis and redox homeostasis in barley (C3) and maize (C4). Compared to maize, barley was more susceptible to soil As exposure at ambient CO2 levels. Barley plants accumulated more As, particularly in roots. As accumulation inhibited plant growth and induced oxidative damage in a species-specific manner. As-exposed barley experienced severe oxidative stress as illustrated by high H2O2 and protein oxidation levels. Interestingly, eCO2 differentially mitigated As-induced stress in barley and maize. In barley, eCO2 exposure reduced photorespiration, H2O2 production, and lipid/protein oxidation. In maize eCO2 exposure led to an upregulation of the ascorbate-glutathione (ASC/GSH)-mediated antioxidative defense system. Combined, this work highlights how ambient and future eCO2 levels differentially affect the growth, physiology and biochemistry of barley and maize crops exposed to soil As pollution.

Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO(2)) can significantly enhance plant metabolism and improve their nutritional quality. Although several studies addressed the effect of eCO(2) on plants, to our knowledge, there are no studies that have applied eCO(2) to improve growth, chemical composition, and biological properties of ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) during sprouting. Herein, eCO(2) (620 mu mol mol(-1)) was employed to enhance photosynthetic reactions. Improved photosynthesis induced primary and bioactive secondary metabolism, which led to improved biological activities of T. ammi sprouts in comparison with control sprouts and seeds. eCO(2)-treated sprouts showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of most measured nutritional primary and secondary metabolites like soluble sugars, essential amino acids, organic acids, essential oils, phenolics, and flavonoids than control sprouts, which had significantly higher values than control seeds. eCO(2) significantly improved the antimicrobial properties of T. ammi sprouts against 11 out of 13 microbial species than control sprouts, which had more potent antimicrobial activities than seeds. The significant increase in the antioxidant potential of treated sprouts was indicated by improved levels of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), DPPH, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). In addition, the anticancer activity against four different human tumor cell lines was significantly (p < 0.05) boosted by both sprouting and eCO(2) exposure. Thus, the present study confirms the synergistic effect of sprouting with eCO(2) exposure as promising approaches to produce ajwain sprouts with rich nutraceuticals, effective phytochemicals, and enhanced biological activities.

We utilized volcanic CO2 vents at Castello Aragonese off Ischia Island as a natural laboratory to investigate the effect of lowered pH/elevated CO2 on the bioactivities of extracts from fleshy brown algae Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh. We analysed the carbohydrate levels, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, anticancer properties and antimutagenic potential of the algae growing at the acidified site (pH similar to 6.7) and those of algae growing at the nearby control site Lacco Ameno (pH similar to 8.1). The results of the present study show that the levels of polysaccharides fucoidan and alginate were higher in the algal population at acidified site. In general, extracts for the algal population from the acidified site showed a higher antioxidant capacity, antilipidperoxidation, antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, anticancer activities and antimutagenic potential compared to the control population. The increased bioactivity in acidified population could be due to elevated levels of bioactive compounds of algae and/or associated microbial communities. In this snapshot study, we performed bioactivity assays but did not characterize the chemistry and source of presumptive bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, the observed improvement in the medicinal properties of S. vulgare in the acidified oceans provides a promising basis for future marine drug discovery. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thymus vulgaris L. commonly known as Thyme or Garden Thyme, is important medicinal herb used for their wide-ranging therapeutic properties. Agriculture practices of thyme plants influence their growth and biochemical composition. Here, we have evaluated the effects of two production systems and irrigation with saline water on growth, physiological characteristics and antioxidant capacity of T. vulgaris. Two levels of salinity stress (50 and 150 mM) were applied for 2 and 4 weeks under shade enclosure or open field. The results showed that NaCl-treated plants grown in shade enclosure showed reduced total dry weight and relative water content, photosynthetic characteristics and leaf pigments when compared to full sunny conditions. However, the shade conditions enhanced glucose and fructose accumulation mainly after a short period of NaCl stress application. The reduction of Ca2+ and K+ was lower in NaCl-stressed plants grown under open-field conditions. Besides, under sunny conditions, plants showed significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 contents. Our results demonstrated that these plants in open field have higher contents of reduced ascorbate (ASC) and reduced glutathione (GSH) than plants grown in shade enclosure, which could be related to enhanced activity of APX and GR. An increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity was also recorded. Moreover, activities of dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) were mainly dependent on the intensity of NaCl stress.

We analyzed the cellular and molecular changes in the leaf growth zone of tolerant and sensitive rice varieties in response to suboptimal temperatures. Cold reduced final leaf length by 35 and 51% in tolerant and sensitive varieties, respectively. Tolerant lines exhibited a smaller reduction of leaf elongation rate and a larger compensation by increased duration of leaf growth. Kinematic analysis showed that cold reduced cell production in the meristem and expansion rate in the elongation zone, but the latter was compensated for by a doubling of the duration of cell expansion. We performed iTraq proteome analysis on proliferating and expanding parts of the leaf growth zone. We identified 559 and 542 proteins of which 163 and 210 were differentially expressed between zones and 96 and 68 between treatments in the tolerant and sensitive line, respectively. The categories protein biosynthesis and redox homeostasis were significantly overrepresented in the upregulated proteins. We therefor measured redox metabolites and enzyme activities in the leaf growth zone, demonstrating that tolerance of rice lines to suboptimal temperatures correlates with the ability to upregulate of enzymatic antioxidants in the meristem and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the elongation zone.

Algae are frequently exposed to toxic metals, and zinc (Zn) is one of the major toxicants present. We exposed two green microalgae, Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus acuminatus, to sub-lethal concentrations (1.0 and 0.6 mM) of Zn for seven days. Algal responses were analysed at the level of growth, oxidative stress, and antioxidants. Growth parameters such as cell culture yield and pigment content were less affected by Zn in C. sorokiniana, despite the fact that this alga accumulated more zinc than S. acuminatus. Also, C. sorokiniana, but not S. acuminatus, was able to acclimatize during long-term exposure to toxic concentrations of the test metals (specific growth rate (µ) was 0.041/day and total chlorophyll was 14.6 mg/mL). Although, Zn induced oxidative stress in both species, C. sorokiniana experienced less stress than S. acuminatus. This could be explained by a higher accumulation of antioxidants in C. sorokiniana, where flavonoids, polyphenols, tocopherols, glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (ASC) content increased. Moreover, antioxidant enzymes glutathione S transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), showed increased activities in C. sorokiniana. In addition to, and probably also underlying, the higher Zn tolerance in C. sorokiniana, this alga also showed higher Zn biosorption capacity. Use of C. sorokiniana as a bio-remediator, could be considered.

International audience; Infectious diseases are one of the most common threats for both domestic and wild animals, but little is known about the effects on the physiological condition and survival of wild animals. Here, we have tested for the first time in a wild vertebrate facing a viral disease possibly due to herpesvirus (i) whether nestlings with either low levels of oxidative damage or high levels of antioxidant protection are less susceptible to develop visible clinical signs, (ii) whether the disease is associated with the nestlings' oxidative status, (iii) whether the association between the disease and oxidative status is similar between males and females (iv), and whether cloacal and tracheal swabs might be used to detect herpesvirus. To address our questions, we took advantage of a population of Magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) whose nestlings have experienced high mortality rates in recent times. Our work shows that (i) blood lipid oxidative damage is associated with observable clinical signs and survival probabilities of nestling frigatebirds, and (ii) that high glutathione levels in red blood cells are associated with the emergence of visible clinical signs of the disease. Our work provides evidence that differences in the oxidative status of nestlings might underlie individual health and survival.

The analysis of metal mixture toxicity to plants is complicated by mutual interactions. In the present study, mixture effects of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) root elongation were analyzed using oxidative stress parameters. The hypothesis was that toxic mixture effects on plant growth are better explained by biochemical parameters than by exposure information, because the former excludes interactions among metals for root uptake. Barley seedlings were exposed for 5 d or 14 d to these metals in nutrient solutions, added in isolation and as mixtures. Root elongation in Cu+Cd mixtures was well predicted from free metal ion concentrations in solution, using concentration addition (CA) or independent action (IA) reference models. In contrast, Zn acted antagonistically when combined with Cu and/or Cd, relative to both CA and IA. This protective effect of Zn correlated with the biomarkers measured in the long-term experiment; oxidative stress (indicated by malondialdehyde level, for example) decreased after addition of Zn. In addition, it was found that some biomarkers were sensitive to both Cu and Cd dosed in isolation, but not to Cu+Cd mixtures. Overall, the exposure explained mixture effects better than most of the 16 measured biomarkers (i.e., the biochemical effects). It is concluded that these biomarkers are not robust indicators for metal mixture toxicity, potentially because different metals have different parallel modes of action on growth that are insufficiently indexed by the biomarkers.