Mitigation of salinity stress by exogenous application of cytokinin in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

Soil salinity limits agricultural land use and crop productivity, thereby a major threat to global food safety. Plants treated with several phytohormones including cytokinins were recently proved as a powerful tool to enhance plant’s adaptation against various abiotic stresses. The current study was designed to investigate the potential role of 6-benzyladenine (BA) to improve broad bean (Vicia faba L.) salinity tolerance. The salt-stressed broad bean plantlets were classified into two groups, one of which was sprayed with water and another was sprayed with 200 ppm of BA. Foliar applications of BA to salt-exposed plants promoted the growth performance which was evidenced by enhanced root-shoot fresh and dry biomass. Reduced proline was strongly connected to the enhanced soluble proteins and free amino acids contents, protecting plant osmotic potential following BA treatment in salt-stressed broad bean. BA balanced entire mineral homeostasis and improved mineral absorption and translocation from roots to shoots, shoots to seeds and roots to seeds in salt-stressed plants. Excessive salt accumulation increased malondialdehyde level in leaves creating oxidative stress and disrupting cell membrane whereas BA supplementation reduced lipid peroxidation and improved oxidative defence. BA spray to salinity-stressed plants also compensated oxidative damage by boosting antioxidants defence mechanisms, as increased the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase. Moreover, clustering heatmap and principal component analysis revealed that mineral imbalances, osmotic impairments and increased oxidative damage were the major contributors to salts toxicity, on the contrary, BA-augmented mineral homeostasis and higher antioxidant capacity were the reliable markers for creating salinity stress tolerance in broad bean. In conclusion, the exogenous application of BA alleviated the antagonistic effect of salinity and possessed broad bean to positively regulate the osmoprotectants, ion homeostasis, antioxidant activity and finally plant growth and yield, perhaps suggesting these easily-accessible and eco-friendly organic compounds could be powerful tools for the management of broad bean growth as well as the development of plant resiliency in saline prone soils

Exogenous glutathione-mediated tolerance to deficit irrigation in salt-affected Capsicum frutescence (L.) plants is connected with higher antioxidant content and ionic homeostasis

As an important medicinal plant used in traditional and modern medicine, chili peppers are sensitive or moderately sensitive to drought or salt stress, respectively. Therefore, potential changes due to foliar-applied glutathione (GSH; 0, 0.4 and 0.8 mM) response on growth, yield, and physio-biochemical attributes, as well as water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit alkaloid capsaicin of chili pepper plants were investigated when grown under deficit irrigation in salt-affected soil (EC = 6.74 dS m–1). Two deficit irrigation water (DiW) regimes (80% and 60% of soil field capacity; FC) were used versus 100% of FC as a control. Both DiW treatments negatively affected growth and yield parameters, SPAD chlorophyll index, nutrient status, K+/Na+ ratio, and plant anatomical features. In contrast, osmoprotectants, ascorbate, glutathione, capsaicin, and phenolic contents, as well as WUE were increased in association with higher Na+ and Cl– contents. However, exogenously-applied GSH caused significant increases in the above-mentioned parameters along with an additional increase in osmoprotectants, antioxidants, and capsaicin contents, and a decrease in Na+ and Cl– levels compared to corresponding controls. The highest WUE, growth, and fruit yield responses were recorded at 0.8 mM GSH applied to plants under DiW at 80% FC + salinity (6.74 dS m–1). Therefore, this study suggested the use of leafy-applied GSH at 0.8 mM for satisfactory growth and yield with the highest WUE of chili pepper plants grown under salt-affected conditions with deficit irrigation

Genetic and Morphological Diversity Assessment of Five Kalanchoe Genotypes by SCoT, ISSR and RAPD-PCR Markers

Determining the appropriate parents for breeding programs is the most important decision that plant breeders must make to maximize the genetic variability and produce excellent recombinant genotypes. Several methods are used to identify genotypes with desirable phenotypic features for breeding experiments. In this study, five kalanchoe genotypes were morphologically characterized by assessing plant height, number of inflorescences, number of flowers, flower length, flower diameter and number of petals. The analysis showed the distinction of yellow kalanchoe in the plant height trait, while the orange kalanchoe was distinguished in the number of inflorescences, the number of flowers and flower length traits, whereas the violet kalanchoe possessed the largest flower diameter and the highest number of petals. The molecular profiling was performed by random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tools. Genomic DNA was extracted from young leaves and the PCR reactions were performed using ten primers for each SCoT, ISSR and RAPD marker. Only four out of ten primers showed amplicon profiles in all PCR markers. A total of 70 bands were generated by SCoT, ISSR and RAPD-PCR with 35 polymorphic bands and 35 monomorphic bands. The total number of bands of RAPD, ISSR and SCoT was 15, 17 and 38, respectively. The polymorphism percentages achieved by RAPD, ISSR and SCoT were 60.25%, 15% and 57%, respectively. The cluster analysis based on morphological data revealed two clusters. Cluster I consisted of violet and orange kalanchoe, and cluster II comprised red, yellow and purple kalanchoe. Whereas the cluster analysis based on molecular data revealed three clusters. Cluster I included only yellow kalanchoe, cluster II comprised orange and violet kalanchoe while cluster III comprised red, and purple kalanchoe. The study concluded that orange, violet and yellow kalanchoe are distinguished parents for breeding economically valued traits in kalanchoe. Also, the study concluded that SCoT and RAPD markers reproduced reliable banding patterns to assess the genetic polymorphism among kalanchoe genotypes that consider the basis stone for genetic improvements in ornamental plants

Effects of Heavy Metals and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza on the Leaf Proteome of a Selected Poplar Clone: A Time Course Analysis

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi establish a mutualistic symbiosis with the roots of most plant species. While receiving photosynthates, they improve the mineral nutrition of the plant and can also increase its tolerance towards some pollutants, like heavy metals. Although the fungal symbionts exclusively colonize the plant roots, some plant responses can be systemic. Therefore, in this work a clone of Populus alba L., previously selected for its tolerance to copper and zinc, was used to investigate the effects of the symbiosis with the AM fungus Glomus intraradices on the leaf protein expression. Poplar leaf samples were collected from plants maintained in a glasshouse on polluted (copper and zinc contaminated) or unpolluted soil, after four, six and sixteen months of growth. For each harvest, about 450 proteins were reproducibly separated on 2DE maps. At the first harvest the most relevant effect on protein modulation was exerted by the AM fungi, at the second one by the metals, and at the last one by both treatments. This work demonstrates how importantly the time of sampling affects the proteome responses in perennial plants. In addition, it underlines the ability of a proteomic approach, targeted on protein identification, to depict changes in a specific pattern of protein expression, while being still far from elucidating the biological function of each protein

Environmental Monitoring of Zoonotic Fungal Infection in Broiler Chickens: Novel Approach to Control using Nano-fungicide Composite

Control of fungal infections has not taken much attention compared to bacterial and viral pathogens inflicting significant economic losses to the poultry sectors as well as direct harms to human health due to their zoonotic implication. This study aimed to investigate the existence of fungal pathogens in broiler chicks dropping and their environment. As well, evaluate the efficiency of Terminator disinfectant (coco-benzyl-dimethyl ammonium chlorides and glutaraldehyde), nano copper oxide (CuO NPs), and Terminator/ nano copper oxide (Terminator/CuO NPs) on the fungal growth inhibition to control resistant fungus to antifungal agents. All samples (n= 320) were collected from chicks dropping, their environment (air, water, feeds, litter, drinkers, and feeders) as well, the attendant’s hand swabs for isolation and identification of fungal pathogens. The susceptibility pattern of 65 strains of fungal isolates to antifungal agents, terminator disinfectant, and nano-fungicide composites was determined by the disc diffusion assay and broth micro-dilution method. All isolates were highly resistant to voriconazole antifungal drugs, whilst Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) was resistant (100%) to fluconazole. Furthermore, the sensitivity of Aspergillus terreus (A. terreus) and Penicillium corylophilum (P. corylophilum) was 0.0% to fluconazole, and amphotericin-B. Whilst the antifungal activity of Terminator/CuO NPs against fungal pathogens proved its lethal effect (100%) against all fungal isolates at 0.5 mg/mL compared to the efficiency of both Terminator at 1:50 and CuO NPs at 2.0 mg/mL was not exceeded 84.6% and 76.9%, respectively against all fungal strains. In conclusion, nano-fungicide is a promising product for the prevention of fungal pathogens in broiler chickens and their environment. The control of zoonotic resistant fungus using novel nano-fungicide composite (Terminator/CuO NPs) at 0.5 mg/mL concentration was efficiently achieved compared to nano copper oxide at 2.0 mg/mL

Changes of antioxidative enzymes in salinity tolerance among different wheat cultivars

The response of three wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars Banysoif 1 (C1), Sakha 68 (C2) and Seds 1 (C3) to salinity stress (−1.11 MPa NaCl) at germination and early seedling growth was investigated. According to the germination, dry weight production and tissue water content, C1 seemed to be more or less unaffected by salinity, whereas C3 was severely reduced and C2 was almost intermediated. Consequently, carbohydrate, protein and free amino acids contents were increased in C1 and C2, while the opposite occurred in C3 (except soluble proteins and free amino acids). On the other hand, while proline content decreased in C2 and C3, it markedly increased in C1 as a result of salinity stress. Na + /K + ratio was higher in C3 than in C1. C2 was intermediate. Significant increase in SOD activity was observed in seedlings of C1 and C2. On the other hand, SOD activity was markedly decreased in C3 cultivar. Seedling extracts exhibited three SOD activity bands (SOD1, SOD2 and SOD3) in C1 and C2. While in C3 seedling, only two SOD activity bands (SOD1 and SOD3) were identified, whereas the SOD2 isozyme was not expressed under control or NaCl conditions in this cultivar. Salinity stress significantly increased POD activity in C1 and C3, but it markedly decreased the activity of POD in C2. Two isozymes of POD (POD1 and POD2) were observed in all groups of C1. The intensity and density of POD1 and POD2 markedly increased under salinity stress versus control group. In C2, salinity stress resulted in disappearance of POD1 as compared with control group. In C3, salinity stress induced the appearance of POD1 which disappear under control group. CAT activity in C1 and C2 was markedly increased under NaCl salinity. On the other hand, CAT activity was markedly decreased in C3. NaCl salinity did not affect APX activity in three wheat cultivars. In addition, lipid peroxidation level of salt-sensitive C3 markedly increased, indicating more damage to membrane lipids due to −1.11 MPa NaCl. Lipid peroxidation did not change in the salt-tolerant C1 at the same concentration of NaCl. C2 was intermediate.These results suggest that at seedling stage, C1 is appeared to be more tolerant than C2 and C3 under salinity stress

Physiological and Behavioral Responses of Sohagi Ewe Lambs Exposed to Direct Sunlight Under Subtropical Climatic Conditions

This study aimed to assess the ability of Sohagi ewe lambs to adapt to heat stress conditions during the summer season in arid regions of Sohag governorate, Egypt. Twenty-one Sohagi ewe lambs (9-11 months old and 25.55±2.69 kg average body weight) were divided into three equal groups. In the 1st group, ewe lambs were housed in an indoor barn and considered as control (DS0), while those in the 2nd and 3rd groups were daily exposed to direct sunlight in the outdoor barns for 4 hours (DS4) and 8 hours (DS8), respectively. Physiological, blood parameters, and daily behavioral activities of each animal in experimental groups were obtained and data were analyzed in a completely randomized design. Results showed that rectal temperature, respiration rate, and water consumption of Sohagi ewe lambs in DS4 and DS8 groups increased significantly (p<0.05) compared with those in the control one. The means of packed cell volume, hemoglobin, red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio increased significantly (p<0.05) in ewe lambs in DS4 and DS8 than those in DS0. Glucose and total protein level of ewe lambs in DS4 and DS8 decreased significantly (p<0.05) compared with those in DS0, while potassium levels increased significantly (p<0.05), and sodium levels did not change. Daily behavioral observation illustrated that eating activities increased significantly (p<0.05) at night between sunset and sunrise in DS4 and DS8 than in DS0. Also, standing time in DS4 and DS8 groups increased significantly (p<0.05) compared with DS0. It could be concluded that the productive performance of ewe lamb groups exposed to direct sunlight was not affected. At the same time, physiological responses were significantly increased, reflecting the adaptability of Sohagi ewe lambs to heat stress under subtropical climatic conditions