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Salinity accumulation poses a threat to the production and productivity of economically important crops such as tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Currently, salt tolerance breeding programs have been limited by insufficient genetic and physiological knowledge of tolerance-related traits and a lack of an efficient selection domain. For that purpose, we aimed to determine the ability of tomato cultivars to tolerate salt based on seed traits by multiple biochemical pathways. First, we tested three tomato cultivars according to their response to different sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0, 6.3, 9.8, 13.0, and 15.8 dS m−1) and then we analysed their amino acids, organic acids, and phytohormones. Considering the results of germination traits, it is possible to conclude that cultivar H-2274 was more tolerant to salt stress than others. As a result, multivariate discriminant analysis including principal component analysis and two-way hierarchical clustering analyses were constructed and demonstrated that tomato cultivars were separated from each other by the amino acid, organic acid, and phytohormone contents. Considering germination traits of tomato seeds, cv. ‘H-2274’ was more tolerant to salinity than others depending on high proline (29 pmol µl−1) and citric acid (568 ng µl−1) assays. Biochemical variability offers a valuable tool for investigating salt tolerance mechanisms in tomatoes, and it will be appreciated to find high-tolerant tomato cultivar(s) to saline conditions. Also, the findings of this study have significant potential for practical applications in agriculture, particularly in developing salt-tolerant tomato cultivars to enhance productivity in saline environments and address socio-economic challenges.

Considering it contains a variety of physiologically active compounds, including flavonoids, common phenols, and essential oils (EOs), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) is a common plant in Bulgaria that is predominantly used in folk medicine to cure various disorders. Determining the chemical makeup of St. John’s wort inflorescences that were gathered from northern Bulgaria was the purpose of this investigation. The antioxidant activity of H. perforatum L. extracts was assessed using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) tests on methanol extract. The amount of EO obtained by water distillation was 0.08%, with its main components (over 3%) being n-nonane (27.46%), β-sesquiphellandrene (11.17%), heptanal dimethyl acetal (5.94%), ethyl hexyl ketone (5.93%), undecane (3.75%), sabinene (3.3%), and tridecyl alcohol (3.1%). Methanol extracts were obtained from the inflorescences, with the total flavonoid content determined as 8.66 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/mg and total phenolic content as 271.33 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g. The FRAP assay yielded 493.07 µmol/L of antioxidant activity, while the TEAC assay yielded 106.39 µmol/L, respectively. Our findings enable a comprehensive characterization of H. perforatum from Bulgaria and an assessment of its oil suitability for potential industrial applications. Additionally, the results could guide the selection of specimens for future targeted breeding efforts.

This research is dedicated to investigating the antioxidant potential and phytochemical composition of three distinct extracts derived from Vitex agnus-castus L. These extracts, prepared through aqueous (EXA), ethanolic (EXE), and methanolic (EXM) maceration, were chosen based on prior assessments of total polyphenol content in extracts obtained from five solvents with differing polarities: water, methanol, ethanol, acetone, and butanol. The study initiated with a comprehensive phytochemical analysis focusing on the determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids. The quantification of total polyphenols was carried out using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while the AlCl3 method was employed to assess flavonoids. In evaluating the in vitro antioxidant activity, we employed two well-established methods, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The preliminary tests, gauging the efficacy of solvents, demonstrated that the order of optimal solvent selection was as follows: aqueous, methanolic, ethanolic, butanolic, and acetone. Consequently, the first three solvents were chosen for the preparation of the extracts. The phytochemical analysis unveiled that EXA exhibited the highest total polyphenol content, with an impressive value of 126.84 ± 1.24 mg EAG/g extract, whereas EXE exhibited the lowest concentration of total polyphenols, measuring at 117.26 ± 0.18 mg EAG/g extract. In contrast, EXM showcased a notably high flavonoid content, registering at 33.65 ± 1.04 mg EQ/g extract, while EXA displayed a comparatively lower flavonoid content at 14.93 ± 0.14 mg EQ/g extract. When assessing antioxidant properties, EXA emerged as the most potent against both DPPH and FRAP, recording values of 78.94 ± 1.84 and 203.27 ± 0.17 μg/ml, respectively. In contrast, the ethanolic extract exhibited relatively lower antioxidant activity, with values of 204.16 ± 1.87 μg/ml for DPPH and 307.10 ± 1.15 μg/ml for FRAP.

Due to the short shelf life of fresh apricots, special postharvest preservation techniques and practices are necessary to avoid significant economic losses. The purpose of the current study is to bring to light an approach that can be used to extend the storage life of apricot fruits treated with essential oils (EOs) (peppermint, thyme and carob EO) and examine the effects of two altitudes (1000 m and 1200 m) on the organic acid levels and respiration rate of apricot fruit during long-term storage. The results show that growing apricots at high altitudes increases the level of organic acids in the fruit, improving its quality and extending its postharvest life. Additionally, treating apricots with EOs postharvest slows down the respiration rate, reducing the consumption of organic acids during storage compared to the untreated fruit. The organic acid content was significantly higher in ‘Kabaaşi’ than in ‘Hacihaliloğlu’, and fruit harvested at 1200 m had significantly higher levels of organic acid than the fruit harvested at 1000 m. During storage, the highest organic acid content and the lowest respiration rate were observed in the fruit of both cultivars treated with peppermint, carob, and thyme oil, as compared to control fruit, respectively. To summarize, the use of EOs as postharvest treatment for apricot is recommended for maintaining the quality of the fruit during extended storage.

Melanin is an almost ubiquitous pigment of brown to dark black color synthesized by living organisms. It has excellent potential for application in several fields, especially in pharmaceuticals. Yeasts are known for their ability to synthesize pigments, including melanin. These yeasts are considered black yeasts. However, there is little information on the synthesis of melanin by these yeasts. This work was designed to study the ability of black yeast to produce a diffusible dark pigment on agar. Two strains of black yeast, SN1 and SN2, were isolated from hydrocarbon-polluted soils. Based on morphological, physiological, and molecular analyses, the two strains SN1 and SN2 were identified as new species of the Exophiala phaeomuriformis strain. After pigment extraction, melanin was characterized using UV and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We found that melanin synthesis is strongly affected by light and optimal parameters such as temperature 30°C, salinity between 10 and 30 ppt, and basic pH. Both melanin extracts also showed inhibitory activity against pathogenic germs, and activities were observed on E. coli (33.33 ± 2.88 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (29.33 ± 4.61 mm), and Staphylococcus aureus (24.3 ± 7.65 mm). It was concluded that the melanin of the E. phaeomuriformis strain isolated from oil-polluted soils had high antibacterial activity. This high antibacterial activity could be a suitable source of new antibacterial natural products.

Biotic stress caused by pests on citrus trees has become a major problem for ecologists around the world, hence the need to develop ecological approaches to surmount this stress. To evaluate the effectiveness of diverse control methods on the pest Panonychus citri and its predators, Euseius stipulatus, Phytoseiulus persimilis, and Typhlodromus sp. Different treatments were applied in orchards planted by Citrus clementina in the Gharb area of Morocco (T0 = treated by water only, T1 = spirodiclofen (the molecular formula is C21H24Cl2O4). 0.5 L/ha, T2 = 5% black soap 125 L/ha, Its ingredients are: argan oil, olive oil, black olive, salt, water, vegetable potash, without chemicals. T3 = mixture of two detergents; Oni product is composed of the following ingredients (sodium C12-13 parenth sulfate, and sodium C14-17 alkyl sec sulfonate) and Tide product with the following ingredients (sodium C10-16 alkylbenzene sulfonate, propylene glycol and sodium borate). Results obtained during the follow-up period showed that the black soap, spirodiclofen, and two detergent treatments provided a decrease in the P. citri population in comparison with plot treated by water during the whole monitoring period. We found 5,044 mobile forms of P. citri in the plot treated by water only, 1,544 forms in the plot treated with spirodiclofen, 3,002 forms in the plot treated with black soap, and 1,567 mobile forms in the plot treated with two detergents. This study demonstrated that all three treatments had a negative effect on the predators that survived in comparison to the control (T0), while the negative impact of spirodiclofen on beneficial phytoseiid mites was greater than that of black soap and detergents. However, the increase in temperature according to the follow-up weeks showed a significant effect on the evolution of the density of the studied mites. Unfortunately, the chemical products like spirodiclofen used against various citrus pests are considered toxic to phytoseiids and to the agro-ecosystem in general. This comparison aims to detect the effectiveness of black soap and mixtures of two detergents on P. citri and their impacts on its predators: E. stipulatus, P. persimilis, and Typhlodromus sp. to replace the use of pesticides by these alternative methods, which remain effective and environmentally friendly.

Date palm has excellent economic value all over the world. Date palm genotypes grown in Pakistan are diverse in nature. The current study aimed to explore the diversity in 50 date palm genotypes collected from two different research stations in Punjab, Pakistan. The study findings are as follows: Dhakki had the highest fruit weight, pulp weight, fruit width and fruit volume. Jaman had a longer fruit length. Eedel Shah and Begum Jangi had greater fruit thickness and fruit perimeter, respectively. Makran showed a higher fruit area. Dedhi showed the highest stone weight, thickness and volume. Halmain had a longer stone length, and Sundari had an extended stone width. Makhi exhibited a higher stone perimeter and area. The Danda genotype had low weight and a small length of the stone. Begum Jangi and Peeli Sundar had small stone width. Seib and Shado had a higher moisture content in their fruits. The fruits of Baidhar and Khudraw-2 genotypes had the highest dry matter and reducing sugars. Champa Kali and Shakri had higher TSS levels in fruits. Halmain had higher juice pH. The fruits of Pathri and Makhi genotypes exhibited higher non-reducing sugars and carotenoids. In this study, a dendrogram was constructed to cluster 50 genotypes into five different clusters based on their physico-chemical characteristics. The correlation matrix and variable plot revealed positive and negative correlations between fruits traits and their biochemical properties conducive to the improvement of desired traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that Dhakki, Chohara, Baidhar, Karbalaen and Eedel Shah showed a higher genetic diversity; hence, in the scatter plot and biplot, these genotypes deviated from the centre of origin. Physico-chemical characteristics of data palm genotypes indicated a huge diversity among them, which could help select diverse parents, which is important for different breeding purposes.

Carvacrol is a major component of many essential oils of the genus Thymus, Satureja, and Origanum, determining their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate some physicochemical and biological properties of pure carvacrol. The surface tension and density were measured at six different temperatures (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80°C). The surface tension values were between 53.11 and 60.38 mN/m, while density varied from 0.978 to 0.99 kg/m3. The antibacterial activity against seven pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria was investigated. The diameter of the inhibition zones was determined in the range of 3.9–4.9 mm. The antioxidant activity was determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (1687.0 µmol TE/mL) method.