Search

Drought stress (DS) and overuse of chemical fertilizers cause considerable losses in the agro-physiological as well as biochemical performance of plants. In this context, considerable effort will be required to replace chemical fertilizers (NPK) with biostimulants as an important approach to enhance the productivity and sustainability of agriculture. Here, we evaluated the effect of separating and/or combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with compost (C) in comparison to the use of NPK on the growth, physiological and biochemical of tomatoes under DS. The findings showed that DS significantly reduced the growth and physiological attributes of tomatoes. Furthermore, the treatment of AMF and C showed better results in agro-physiological and fruit quality compared to the NPK and control under DS. The combination of AMF and C (C+AMF) increased leaf water potential by 18.8%, stomatal conductance by 14.1%, fresh fruit weight by 25.0%, shoot dry matter by 104% and root dry matter by 56.1% compared to the control under DS. The study revealed that C+AMF caused a significant increase in sugar, protein and activity of polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase in leaves and fruits, and an opposite trend was observed in the case of malonaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide compared to NPK and control under DS. In conclusion, it is recommended to utilize the combination of AMF with compost to enhance the growth, yield, osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant capacity of tomato plants. This approach can boost their resilience to water stress and improve overall fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Moroccan date-growing sector is rich in a wide diversity of varieties but faces major challenges, notably the undervaluation of certain varieties intended mainly for animal feed. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the antiglycation activity of four date varieties, including three low-market-value varieties and one high-market-value variety, harvested during two seasons (2021 and 2022). In addition, to improve our knowledge of the antiglycation potential, molecular docking analyses were carried out. The results of the antiglycation activity of the date extracts showed strong activity, particularly for the 'Khalt Khal' variety, which showed a 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of 1.83 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In addition, the molecular docking analysis also showed the possible link between the bioactive compounds identified and their mechanisms of action. Our findings suggest new evidence for the antiglycation properties of the bioactive compounds present in dates. These results suggest the use of these varieties as a source of bioactive molecules or as a food additive. This could make it possible to create medicines or food products with a high commercial value using dates, which could help to treat the complications associated with glycation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]