Effect of four different salts on seed germination and morphological characteristics of Oryza sativa L. cv. MR219

The response of Oryza sativa L. cv. MR219 to NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and MgSO4 at different salinity levels (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mM) was studied with emphasis on seed germination and early seedling stage. High salinity delayed mean germination time of seeds and increased biomass, relative injury rate and seedling height reduction. Seeds are more tolerant to NaCl among four salts even at the highest salinity. Results showed that 50mM KCl enhanced the root growth with more roots developed at this salinity. Abnormal seed germination was found in MgCl2 and MgSO4 due to inhibition of root growth. This study proposes that degree of tolerance of MR219 to salts from morphological results is NaCl>KCl>MgCl2>MgSO4. This study might be useful for further research of salinity effect on growth and physiological processes at advanced stage of MR 219 growth

Hydro priming stimulates seedling growth and establishment of Malaysian Indica rice (MR219) under drought stress

Drought stress severely effects on seed germination and seedling establishment as critical stages in crops lifetime. Seed hydro priming is useful process for improving crops tolerance to drought stress. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the effect of hydro priming on adaptation strategies of Malaysian Indica rice (MR219) under drought conditions. Rice aseptic seeds were soaked at 20°C for 8h distilled water. Primed and non-primed seeds were subjected to polyethylene glycol (0, - 0.4, - 0.8 and -1.2) MPa treatments. Results showed that germination percentage, germination index, the fresh and dry weight, shoots and roots lengths decreased with increasing polyethylene glycol concentrations. We observed that polyethylene glycol tolerance of primed seeds is higher than non-primed seeds at all polyethylene glycol levels. Mean germination time and relative polyethylene glycol injury are in-creased in non-primed seeds as compare to primed seeds under drought stress. Proline content positively correlated increased with the increasing polyethylene glycol concentrations. The results indicated that hydro priming of Malaysian Indica rice (MR219) seeds is associated with the accumulation of proline and modulating the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase under drought stress. This study suggests the hydro priming as an effective technique on rice seeds to withstand under drought condition which could be a step forward to commercialization

A critical review of the concept of transgenic plants: insights into pharmaceutical biotechnology and molecular farming

Using transgenic plants for the production of high-value recombinant proteins for industrial and clinical applications has become a promising alternative to using conventional bioproduction systems, such as bacteria, yeast, and cultured insect and animal cells. This novel system offers several advantages over conventional systems in terms of safety, scale, cost-effectiveness, and the ease of distribution and storage. Currently, plant systems are being utilised as recombinant bio-factories for the expression of various proteins, including potential vaccines and pharmaceuticals, through employing several adaptations of recombinant processes and utilizing the most suitable tools and strategies. The level of protein expression is a critical factor in plant molecular farming, and this level fluctuates according to the plant species and the organs involved. The production of recombinant native and engineered proteins is a complicated procedure that requires an inter- and multi-disciplinary effort involving a wide variety of scientific and technological disciplines, ranging from basic biotechnology, biochemistry, and cell biology to advanced production systems. This review considers important plant resources, affecting factors, and the recombinant-protein expression techniques relevant to the plant molecular farming process

Selection, characterizations and somatic embryogenesis of Malaysian salt-tolerant rice (Oryza sativa cv. MR219) through callogenesis

Salt-tolerant lines of MR219 were produced through somatic embryogenesis from salt-tolerant callus of Oryza sativa L. cv.MR219 using in vitro selection procedure. Callus was developed aseptically from seeds on MS media supplemented with 2 mg L -1 2, 4-D. Then, callus directly was sub-cultured on MS media with different concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mM) to produce salt-tolerant callus. Based on the callus characteristics which are morphological, physiological and biochemical cascades such as proline content, total protein, total soluble sugar, lipid peroxidation, activity of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase, salt-tolerant callus was screened and selected. After 4 months, callus cultured in 50 and 100 mM NaCl showed yellow color, soft, friable and nodular proliferating. However, callus cultured in 200 and 300 mM NaCl turn blackish-brown and stiff and acutely-necrotic. The selected salt-tolerant callus was sub-cultured on MS media for somatic embryogenesis. The salt-tolerant plantlets were transferred into pots individually for acclimatization purpose. Salt stress caused significant reduction in water content, fresh and dry weight of callus. The level of total soluble sugar, proline, lipid peroxidation and ascorbate peroxidase significantly increased under salt stress. Salt-tolerant callus indicated high activity of catalase that determined more protection against production of reactive oxygen species. According to growth performance and antioxidant capacity, the plantlets from 50 and 100 mM NaCl, selected as salt-tolerant line. This study suggests the methodology to produce salt-tolerant cultivar of rice which could be a step forward to commercialization

Factors affecting shoot and root apical meristem tissue culture of Thai supersweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa)

During last recent years, in vitro propagation technic is widely used to produce plants with desirable traits. This experiment was conducted to produce an ideal protocol for in vitro propagation of Thai supersweet corn by using shoot apical meristem (SAM) and root apical meristem (RAM) as explants. Four-day-old germinating seedlings were used as the experimental materials on culture media supplemented with a range of auxin, kinetin, and carbohydrates. The primary establishment for SAM showed the highest percentage of survival (80%) while RAM showed the highest survival (67%) and in Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented. Upon acclimatization, regenerated plantlets from shoot showed the highest survival rate (12%) with the production of 21 plantlets; however, the survival rate of plantlets from root was only 20% with the production of 9 plantlets. The efficient and economic protocol that is produced in this study can be applied as an alternative to conventional propagation method for the large-scale production of Thai supersweet corn throughout the year

Suppression subtractive hybridization versus next-generation sequencing in plant genetic engineering: challenges and perspectives

Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) is an effective method to identify different genes with different expression levels involved in a variety of biological processes. This method has often been used to study molecular mechanisms of plants in complex relationships with different pathogens and a variety of biotic stresses. Compared to other techniques used in gene expression profiling, SSH needs relatively smaller amounts of the initial materials, with lower costs, and fewer false positives present within the results. Extraction of total RNA from plant species rich in phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, and polysaccharides that easily bind to nucleic acids through cellular mechanisms is difficult and needs to be considered. Remarkable advancement has been achieved in the next-generation sequencing (NGS) field. As a result of progress within fields related to molecular chemistry and biology as well as specialized engineering, parallelization in the sequencing reaction has exceptionally enhanced the overall read number of generated sequences per run. Currently available sequencing platforms support an earlier unparalleled view directly into complex mixes associated with RNA in addition to DNA samples. NGS technology has demonstrated the ability to sequence DNA with remarkable swiftness, therefore allowing previously unthinkable scientific accomplishments along with novel biological purposes. However, the massive amounts of data generated by NGS impose a substantial challenge with regard to data safe-keeping and analysis. This review examines some simple but vital points involved in preparing the initial material for SSH and introduces this method as well as its associated applications to detect different novel genes from different plant species. This review evaluates general concepts, basic applications, plus the probable results of NGS technology in genomics, with unique mention of feasible potential tools as well as bioinformatics

A Brief Overview of Potential Treatments for Viral Diseases Using Natural Plant Compounds: The Case of SARS-Cov

Review paper, jointly written by experts from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine), Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Iran), Federal University of Maranhão (Brazil), Central University of Punjab (India), Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity (Russia), De Montfort University (UK), University of Orléans (France) open access articleThe COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the more general global increase in viral diseases, has led researchers to look to the plant kingdom as a potential source for antiviral compounds. Since ancient times, herbal medicines have been extensively applied in the treatment and prevention of various infectious diseases in different traditional systems. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential antiviral activity of plant compounds as effective and reliable agents against viral infections, especially by viruses from the coronavirus group. Various antiviral mechanisms shown by crude plant extracts and plant-derived bioactive compounds are discussed. The understanding of the action mechanisms of complex plant extract and isolated plant-derived compounds will help pave the way towards the combat of this life-threatening disease. Further, molecular docking studies, in silico analyses of extracted compounds, and future prospects are included. The in vitro production of antiviral chemical compounds from plants using molecular pharming is also considered. Notably, hairy root cultures represent a promising and sustainable way to obtain a range of biologically active compounds that may be applied in the development of novel antiviral agents

Towards a better understanding of Artemisia vulgaris: botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological and biotechnological potential

Artemisia vulgaris is one of the important medicinal plant species of the genus Artemisia, which is usually known for its volatile oils. The genus Artemisia has become the subject of great interest due to its chemical and biological diversity as well as the discovery and isolation of promising anti-malarial drug artemisinin. A. vulgaris has a long history in treatment of human ailments by medicinal plants in various parts of the world. This medicinal plant possesses a broad spectrum of therapeutic properties including: anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-tumoral, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-spasmodic and anti-septic. These activities are mainly attributed to the presence of various classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, coumarins, acetylenes, phenolic acids, organic acids, mono- and sesquiterpenes. Studies related to A. vulgaris morphology, anatomy and phytochemistry has gained a significant interest for better understanding of production and accumulation of therapeutic compounds in this species. Recently, phytochemical and pharmacological investigations have corroborated the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds of A. vulgaris. These findings provided further evidence for gaining deeper insight into the identification and isolation of novel compounds, which act as alternative sources of anti-malarial drugs in a cost-effective manner. Considering the rising demand and various medical applications of A. vulgaris, this review highlights the recent reports on the chemistry, biological activities and biotechnological interventions for controlled and continuous production of bioactive compounds from this plant species

Development of alginate-montmorillonite-starch with encapsulated Trichoderma harzianum and evaluation of conidia shelf life

Biological control agents, such as Trichoderma harzianum, are widely used in sustainable agriculture. However, commercialisation and mass production of biocontrol products have remained a challenge, especially in viability and efficiency in field application. The encapsulation method has emerged as a sophisticated technique to develop the formulation of T. harzianum. Hence, encapsulation through extrusion was used to prepare T. harzianum beads. The physical characteristics comprising weight, diameter, and swelling ability of the beads were significantly improved when the starch percentage was increased. Alginate-montmorillonite-starch (10%) revealed the lowest shrinkage and the highest swelling ability. The interaction within the functional groups of alginate, montmorillonite, and starch was confirmed by the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) study. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopic analysis exposed compatible scattering of montmorillonite particles and starch granules over the alginate linkages. Meanwhile, the X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the exfoliation between starch and montmorillonite. Storage of T. harzianum beads at 5°C was more suitable than storage at 28°C. At low temperature, the encapsulated T. harzianum beads maintained their viability at 6.59 ± 0.12 log CFU g−1 for an effective threshold value for up to seven months. The current findings indicated that the combination of alginate, montmorillonite, and starch is the best formulation of encapsulated T. harzianum with improved conidia shelf life