Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Calotropis gigantea — An update

Calotropis gigantea is a perennial herb known for its applications in traditional medicine. It has been efficiently used in Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha medicinal systems for years. All the plant parts have been used as medicine owing to its analgesic, anthelmintic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, sedative, anti-asthmatic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, procoagulant, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, and pregnancy interceptive properties. For instance, the leaves, latex, flowers, stem bark, root of the plant are used as expectorant, depilatory, in leprosy scabies of the scalp, eruptions on the body, piles, asthma, liver and spleen enlargement, and painful joint swellings. Moreover, the plant is beneficial for the treatment of various diseases including tumors, ulcers, and piles thereby providing great opportunity to be used in pharmaceutical industry for modern drug synthesis. Phytochemical constituents of the plant responsible for its pharmacological activities include alkaloids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, alcohol, fatty acids, esters of calotropeols, glycosides and proteases. Besides, there is a strong correlation between the chemical structures and therapeutic activity of C. gigantea. Therefore, present review tries to give a brief description of its phytochemical composition, ethnobotanical characteristics, and pharmacological activity

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Calotropis gigantea — An update

611-618Calotropis gigantea is a perennial herb known for its applications in traditional medicine. It has been efficiently used in Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha medicinal systems for years. All the plant parts have been used as medicine owing to its analgesic, anthelmintic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, sedative, anti-asthmatic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, procoagulant, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, and pregnancy interceptive properties. For instance, the leaves, latex, flowers, stem bark, root of the plant are used as expectorant, depilatory, in leprosy scabies of the scalp, eruptions on the body, piles, asthma, liver and spleen enlargement, and painful joint swellings. Moreover, the plant is beneficial for the treatment of various diseases including tumors, ulcers, and piles thereby providing great opportunity to be used in pharmaceutical industry for modern drug synthesis. Phytochemical constituents of the plant responsible for its pharmacological activities include alkaloids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, alcohol, fatty acids, esters of calotropeols, glycosides and proteases. Besides, there is a strong correlation between the chemical structures and therapeutic activity of C. gigantea. Therefore, present review tries to give a brief description of its phytochemical composition, ethnobotanical characteristics, and pharmacological activity

<i>Glomus mosseae</i> and <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> Application Sustains Yield and Promote Tolerance to Water Stress in <i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.

The inoculation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can significantly enhance its growth and yield in a sustainable manner. Drought tolerance is mediated by a combination of direct AMF and PGPR benefits that boost the plant’s natural ability to cope with stress, whereas drought mitigation is mediated by indirect AMF and PGPR benefits and increased water uptake. An experiment was carried out to demonstrate the interactive effects of AMF (Glomus mosseae) alone or in association with PGPR (Pseudomonas fluorescens) under water-stressed conditions in order to assess their biofertilizer efficiency. Accordingly, various morphological and biochemical parameters were studied, and the results suggested that all the co-inoculation treatments displayed beneficial effects. Still, the combination of G. mosseae + P. fluorescens showed the maximum increment in all the parameters considered, i.e., plant height and weight, leaves length and width, number of leaves per plant, specific leaf weight, relative leaf water content (RLWC), photosynthetic efficiency, seed length, width, and area, seed yield per plant, number of seeds per flower, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, flower and head diameter, harvest index, oil content, fatty acid composition (palmitic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, and linoleic acid), and total yield. The improvement in different parameters may be attributed to the increased availability of nutrients due to the symbiotic association of AMF and PGPR with plant roots along with enhanced root structures for more water absorption under stressed conditions. Therefore, the results suggested that they offer a promising bio-control strategy for crop protection as biofertilizers combined in one formulation

Effects of Funneliformis mosseae and Potassium Silicate on Morphological and Biochemical Traits of Onion Cultivated under Water Stress

Water stress negatively impacts the physiology of plants, affecting their growth and development. It is considered among the most important environmental factors responsible for reduced crop production. In this regard, biofertilizers may be considered significant for their reparative properties to increase stress tolerance in crop plants. We studied the effects of water stress on the morphological and biochemical characteristics of onion plants with AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) and potassium silicate application. The water stress significantly affected all the studied traits, each with minimum recorded levels. Plants that received combined treatments of AMF and potassium silicate showed maximum percent increments in all the studied characteristics, e.g., plant height (156.7%), weight of bulb (416.8%), antioxidant activity (224.0%), membrane stability index (74.5%), relative water content (87.3%), and total soluble solids (63.71%). Therefore, the study demonstrated that all the investigated variables were affected negatively by water stress. However, bio-fortification of onion plants with silicates and AMF inoculation may be considered useful for functional food production, with numerous health promoting properties

<i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and Nitrogen Fixing Azotobacter with a Reduced Rate of Chemical Fertilizer Application Enhances Pepper Growth along with Fruits Biochemical and Mineral Composition

Bell pepper is an important vegetable crop containing lots of bioactive compounds. The present study was designed to improve the productivity and quality of bell pepper with the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Rhizophagus irregularis) and plant growth-promoting bacteria (Azotobacter chroococcum) in a combination of chemical fertilizer. Five treatments consisted of 75% chemical fertilizer (T1), 100% chemical fertilizer (T2), 75% chemical fertilizer + R. irregularis (T3), 75% chemical fertilizer + A. chroococcum (T4) and 75% chemical fertilizer + R. irregularis + A. chroococcum (T5). Out of 18 morphological parameters, 11 morphometric fruit parameters were recorded in detail by a tomato analyzer. The morphological and biochemical (TSS, ascorbic acid and capsaicin content) attributes of bell pepper were recorded higher in the case of a mixed consortium of chemical fertilizers having R. irregularis and A. chroococcum. Similarly, the amount of mineral content recorded was highest after 75% chemical fertilizer + R. irregularis + A. chroococcum, followed by the treatment with only 100% chemical fertilizer. The root mycorrhization (%) and the number of spores were observed highest in 75% chemical fertilizer + R. irregularis + A. chroococcum, and there was no mycorrhization and spore formation in 75% CF, 100% CF and 75% CF+AC. The treatment involving 75% chemical fertilizer + R. irregularis + A. chroococcum proved better for pepper’s growth, yield and yield-related traits

Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of Datura Species—A Review

Datura, a genus of medicinal herb from the Solanaceae family, is credited with toxic as well as medicinal properties. The different plant parts of Datura sp., mainly D. stramonium L., commonly known as Datura or Jimson Weed, exhibit potent analgesic, antiviral, anti-diarrheal, and anti-inflammatory activities, owing to the wide range of bioactive constituents. With these pharmacological activities, D. stramonium is potentially used to treat numerous human diseases, including ulcers, inflammation, wounds, rheumatism, gout, bruises and swellings, sciatica, fever, toothache, asthma, and bronchitis. The primary phytochemicals investigation on plant extract of Datura showed alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, amino acids, and phenolic compounds. It also contains toxic tropane alkaloids, including atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscamine. Although some studies on D. stramonium have reported potential pharmacological effects, information about the toxicity remains almost uncertain. Moreover, the frequent abuse of D. stramonium for recreational purposes has led to toxic syndromes. Therefore, it becomes necessary to be aware of the toxic aspects and the potential risks accompanying its use. The present review aims to summarize the phytochemical composition and pharmacological and toxicological aspects of the plant Datura

Salinity Stress and the Influence of Bioinoculants on the Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Faba Bean (<i>Vicia faba</i> L.)

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an economically important crop cultivated globally for fulfilling human requirements. However, the productivity of the faba bean has declined due to poor management of soil, particularly under salt stress. Salt stress is a major constraint to crop productivity worldwide. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation is to check the behavior of faba bean genotypes on the basis of morphological and biochemical traits in response to salinity. In this study, we studied seven different treatments (including control) applied to faba bean under salt stress. Bioinoculants such as Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas flourescens, Glomus mosseae, and Gigaspora gigantean, each separately and in combination, were tested for their efficacy under salinity stress. Data recorded on days to flowering (48.92 ± 1.15), days to maturity (144.56 ± 1.95), plant height (141.93 ± 4.81 cm), number of branches per plant (4.87 ± 0.09), number of clusters per plant (18.88 ± 0.24), number of pods per plant (48.33 ± 1.06), pod length (5.31 ± 0.02 cm), catalase (222.10 ± 2.76 mg), hydrogen peroxide (24 ± 4.58 mol/g), malondialdehyde (45 ± 1.00 mol/g), electrolyte leakage (54.67 ± 5.03), chlorophyll (51.67 ± 3.06 mg/g), proline content (2.96 ± 0.12 mg/g), and on other parameters indicated the combined inoculation of all the species (consortium) was taken to be highly effective even under salt stress. Overall, the consortium treatment comprising all of the bioinoculants was observed to be the most efficient treatment in improving all the morphological and biochemical traits of faba bean under salt stress. Although, other treatments also demonstrated considerable effects on faba bean as compared to one without bioinoculants under salt stress

<i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and <i>Azotobacter chroococcum</i> Uphold Eggplant Production and Quality under Low Fertilization

Microorganisms are essential parts of soil and play an important role in mediating many processes and influencing plant health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB), the most common of such microorganisms, can benefit plants by enhancing the nutrient-absorbing ability of roots through bio-inoculation, also called biofertilization. Different methods have been tested and proven to be effective in the enhancement of soil nutrient availability. However, the effects of increased application of biological methods with minimal chemical fertilizers are still inconsistent. In this 2-year of fixed-point greenhouse test, we aimed to evaluate the impact of AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) and/or NFB (Azotobacter) on growth, quality, and yield of eggplants under different N levels. Data showed that biofertilizer application with reduced chemical fertilizer had the highest impact on eggplant performance and yield. Indeed, low chemical fertilizers combined with adequate amounts of biofertilizers produced a higher plant height, length and width of leaves, dry matter, number of fruits per plant with better morphology, total yield per plant, and total soluble solids (TSS), suggesting that the use of Azotobacter and R. irregularis as biofertilizers could substantially reduce the use of chemical fertilizers without impairing the quality and yield of eggplant

Correction: Sharma et al. <i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and <i>Azotobacter chroococcum</i> Uphold Eggplant Production and Quality under Low Fertilization. <i>Int. J. Plant Biol.</i> 2022, <i>13</i>, 601–612

In the original publication [...

Rhizophagus irregularis and Azotobacter chroococcum Uphold Eggplant Production and Quality under Low Fertilization

Microorganisms are essential parts of soil and play an important role in mediating many processes and influencing plant health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB), the most common of such microorganisms, can benefit plants by enhancing the nutrient-absorbing ability of roots through bio-inoculation, also called biofertilization. Different methods have been tested and proven to be effective in the enhancement of soil nutrient availability. However, the effects of increased application of biological methods with minimal chemical fertilizers are still inconsistent. In this 2-year of fixed-point greenhouse test, we aimed to evaluate the impact of AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) and/or NFB (Azotobacter) on growth, quality, and yield of eggplants under different N levels. Data showed that biofertilizer application with reduced chemical fertilizer had the highest impact on eggplant performance and yield. Indeed, low chemical fertilizers combined with adequate amounts of biofertilizers produced a higher plant height, length and width of leaves, dry matter, number of fruits per plant with better morphology, total yield per plant, and total soluble solids (TSS), suggesting that the use of Azotobacter and R. irregularis as biofertilizers could substantially reduce the use of chemical fertilizers without impairing the quality and yield of eggplant