Effect of foliar application of selenium on morphological and physiological indices of savory (Satureja hortensis) under cadmium stress

Cadmium is a heavy metal that pollutes the environment and affects plants physiologically and morphologically. Selenium is considered as a beneficial element, with effective roles in increasing plant tolerance to environmental stresses. A greenhouse factorial pot experiment was conducted to study the impact of selenium on traits of Savory plants under Cd stress. Experimental factors included soil contamination with cadmium (0, 75, 100, and 150 μM) and foliar spraying of selenium (0, 10, 20, and 40 μM of Sodium Selenate). Biomass, photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, proline, total soluble solids, cell membrane leakage, relative water content of leaves antioxidant enzymes, and Cd and Zn concentration in shoot and root were recorded. Results revealed that Cd stress decreased vegetative growth criteria, photosynthetic pigments include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid almost, 55%, 57%, 57%, and 68%, respectively, while poline, cell membrane leakage, peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) antioxidant enzymes were increased with increasing Cd concentrations. Foliar spray of selenium reduced the toxic effects of Cd stress on savory plants via enhancing of proline content and stimulation of CAT and POD enzymes and limitation of cell membrane leakage. Also, selenium foliar spray improved chlorophyll content under Cd stress condition and decreased cadmium accumulation 29% in root, respectively. In general, these results suggest that foliar application of selenium could mitigate Cd toxicity and improve growth and antioxidant capacity of savory under different level of cadmium heavy metal stress

Foliar Application of Zn Alleviates Salt Stress Symptoms of Pak Choi Plants by Activating Water Relations and Glucosinolate Synthesis

Several studies have related the application of micronutrients such as zinc, iron and molybdenum with alleviation of stress symptoms in horticultural plants. However, there are few studies that correlate the microelements with water relations. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of the foliar application of Zn on pak choi (Brassica campestris, L.) plants grown under saline conditions. When plants were grown in a nutrient solution containing 0 or 80 mM NaCl, shoot biomass was greatly decreased, while, in a separate experiment, Zn toxicity was observed when it was applied at concentrations above 50 µM as a foliar spray. In a third experiment, low Zn applications, mainly 25 µM, enhanced parameters such as gas exchange, biomass and glucosinolates synthesis in plants grown under saline conditions (80 mM NaCl). Also, Zn application provoked a rise in membrane integrity and decreased oxidative damage in root cells. In conclusion, Zn application decreased oxidative damage and increased the content of glucosinolates, which could act as important signals to improve water uptake and transport and, as a consequence, alleviate salinity stress in pak choi plants.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Inovación y Universidades, through the project RTC-2015-3536-2. Also, Hamideh Fatemi was supported by Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Ira

Impact of different drying methods on the drying time, energy, and quality of green peas

The effect of seven drying methods (freeze (FD), hot air (HA), infrared (IR), microwave (MW), hot air‐infrared (HA‐IR), hot air‐microwave (HA‐MW), and sun drying (SD) methods on the drying time, the physical, qualitative and antioxidant properties, and the extraction of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in green peas was studied. Six mathematical models were also utilized to predict the moisture content of dried green peas. The results showed that the shortest and longest drying times were obtained by the HA‐MW and FD methods, respectively. For all drying methods, the Page model had the best ability in predicting the drying curve. The lowest amount of specific energy consumption was achieved by the MW method. The highest color changes and the lowest amount of shrinkage occurred in the FD method. The lowest rehydration ratio was 1.23 in the SD method. The highest pH value of 6.08 was also obtained in the SD method. The amount of antioxidant capacity changes and the total phenol and flavonoid contents varied between 42.47%–88.28%, 4.52–14.59 mg GAE/gDW, and 244.62–322.44 mg QE/gDW for different methods. The FD method was found to be the best way to preserve the product properties. It was further suggested that the HA‐MW method can be a promising technology for drying the green peas due to the relatively lower energy consumption, shorter drying time, and higher quality

A comparative study of osteopontin and MMP-2 protein expression in peripheral and central giant cell granuloma of the jaw

Introduction: Oral peripheral and central giant cell granulomas are lesions with little-known etiology and pathogenesis. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare matrix metalloproteinases-2 and osteopontin protein expression in the multinucleated giant cells and mononuclear cells of the peripheral and central giant cell granuloma lesions. Methods: In this retrospective study, the presence of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and osteopontin in 37 cases of central giant cell granuloma and 37 cases of peripheral giant cell granuloma paraffin blocks were assessed by streptavidin-biotin immunohistochemistry. Independent sample t-test, Chi-square, Mann–Whitney tests and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used. Results: The osteopontin was expressed in both multinucleated giant cells and mononuclear cells in all cases of peripheral and central giant cells granulomas. However, the matrix metalloproteinases-2 expression was positive in 86.5% of giant cells and it was positive in all of mononuclear cells in peripheral giant cells granuloma. In central giant cells granulomas, 91.8% of giant cells and all mononuclear cells were positive for matrix metalloproteinases-2 marker. Percentage and Intensity of staining were significantly higher in central than peripheral giant cells lesions, for both markers (p ˂ 0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that the expression of osteopontin in giant cells supports the theory of osteolcastic nature of these cells. Also, the presence of osteopontin and matrix metalloproteinases-2 in mononuclear cells may indicate the monocyte-macrophage origin of these cells, as the differentiation of the precursors of the mononuclear stromal monocyte/macrophage to osteoclasts is possibly affected by the expression of osteolytic factors. Also, may be differences in biological behaviors of these lesions are associated with the level of osteopontin and matrix metalloproteinases-2 expression. Resumo: Introdução: Os granulomas periféricos e centrais de células gigantes são lesões com etiologia e patogênese pouco conhecidas. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a expressão das proteínas metaloproteinases da matriz-2 e osteopontina nas células gigantes multinucleadas e células mononucleares no granuloma periférico e central de células gigantes. Método: Neste estudo retrospectivo, a presença de metaloproteinases da matriz-2 e osteopontina em 37 casos de granuloma central de células gigantes e 37 casos de granuloma periférico de células gigantes em blocos de parafina foram avaliadas por imunohistoquímica pela estreptavidina-Biotina. Foram utilizados teste t para amostra independente, teste de Qui-quadrado, Mann-Whitney e coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Resultados: A osteopontina foi expressa em células gigantes multinucleadas e células mononucleares em todos os casos de granuloma periférico de células gigantes e granuloma central de células gigantes. No entanto, a expressão de metaloproteinases da matriz-2 foi positiva em 86,5% de células gigantes e foi positiva em todas as células mononucleares em granuloma periférico de células gigantes. Em granuloma central de células gigantes, 91,8% das células gigantes e todas as células mononucleares foram positivas para o marcador metaloproteinases da matriz-2. A porcentagem e intensidade de coloração em granuloma central de células gigantes foram significantemente maiores do em granuloma periférico de células gigantes para ambos os marcadores (p ˂ 0,05). Conclusão: Este estudo mostrou que a expressão de osteopontina em células gigantes apoia a teoria da natureza osteoclástica dessas células. Além disso, a presença de osteopontina e metaloproteinases da matriz-2 em células mononucleares pode indicar a origem dos monócitos-macrófagos dessas células, uma vez que a diferenciação dos precursores do monócito/macrófago estromal mononuclear em osteoclastos é possivelmente afetada pela expressão de fatores osteolíticos. Além disso, as diferenças nos comportamentos biológicos dessas lesões estão associadas ao nível de expressão de osteopontina e metaloproteinases da matriz-2. Keywords: Osteopontin, MMP-2, PGCG, CGCG, Immunohistochemistry, Palavras-chave: Osteopontina, MMP-2, PGCG, CGCG, Imunohistoquímic

Differential Aquaporin Response to Distinct Effects of Two Zn Concentrations after Foliar Application in Pak Choi (Brassica rapa L.) Plants

© 2020 by the authors.Zinc (Zn) is considered an essential element with beneficial effects on plant cells; however, as a heavy metal, it may induce adverse effects on plants if its concentration exceeds a threshold. In this work, the effects of short-term and prolonged application of low (25 µM) and high (500 µM) Zn concentrations on pak choi (Brassica rapa L.) plants were evaluated. For this, two experiments were conducted. In the first, the effects of short-term (15 h) and partial foliar application were evaluated, and in the second a long-term (15 day) foliar application was applied. The results indicate that at short-term, Zn may induce a rapid hydraulic signal from the sprayed leaves to the roots, leading to changes in root hydraulic conductance but without effects on the whole-leaf gas exchange parameters. Root accumulation of Zn may prevent leaf damage. The role of different root and leaf aquaporin isoforms in the mediation of this signal is discussed, since significant variations in PIP1 and PIP2 gene expression were observed. In the second experiment, low Zn concentration had a beneficial effect on plant growth and specific aquaporin isoforms were differentially regulated at the transcriptional level in the roots. By contrast, the high Zn concentration had a detrimental effect on growth, with reductions in the root hydraulic conductance, leaf photosynthesis rate and Ca2+ uptake in the roots. The abundance of the PIP1 isoforms was significantly increased during this response. Therefore, a 25 µM Zn dose resulted in a positive effect in pak choi growth through an increased root hydraulic conductance.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (AGL2016-80247-C2-1-R). H.F. was supported by the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and TechnologyPeer reviewe

Diversity of Chemical Composition and Morphological Traits of Eight Iranian Wild Salvia Species during the First Step of Domestication

As one of the largest genera of the Lamiaceae family, Salvia has a wide distribution worldwide. Despite their great importance and medicinal use, most Salvia species are collected from their natural habitats, and some of them are endangered and vulnerable. This study aimed to evaluate the domestication process of eight Iranian native Salvia species. The studied species were cultivated and adapted to the cultivation area after two years, and then some of their important biochemical properties were investigated. According to some significant results, the root architecture was closely correlated with the climatic conditions of the species origins. The distribution of total dry matter varied widely among species; accordingly, S. sclarea and S. officinalis had 65.6% and 55.9% dry weights in their leaves, respectively. Moreover, S. nemorosa had a 24.3% dry weight in its flowers, while S. frigida (Jahrom), S. frigida (Targavar), S. virgata (Eghled), and S. macrosiphon had 44.6%, 43.3%, 46.0%, and 44.3% dry weights in their roots. The most potent antioxidant activity (IC50) was observed in the roots of S. macrosiphon (10.9 μg/mL) and S. sclarea (14.9 μg/mL), the stem of S. nemorosa (14.3 μg/mL), and the leaves of S. atropatana (14.0 μg/mL). Rosmarinic acid, a key phenolic substance in Salvia species, was present in the range of 0.24–0.47 mg/g dry weight. The essential oil content ranged from 0.35% in S. atropatana to 1.45% (w/w) in S. officinalis. β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, and germacrene D were the major ingredients of the essential oils. The cluster analysis based on the essential oil data revealed the most similarities between S. sclarea and S. macrosiphon, and a clear separation of S. virgate, S. syriaca, and S. officinalis from other species. Salvia spp. contain a wide variety of compounds of interest under cultivation, with S. sclarea having the greatest potential to profit from the production of medicinal compounds, such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and essential oils. Furthermore, S. officinalis, S. nemorosa, and S. sclarea are the best species for producing raw medicinal materials

Interaction of Different Drying Methods and Storage on Appearance, Surface Structure, Energy, and Quality of <i>Berberis vulgaris</i> var. asperma

Seedless barberry fruit is native small fruit in Iran. To examine the impact of various drying methods and storage on the biochemical attributes (Vitamin C, Anthocyanin, Phenol, pH, TA), color index (a*, b*, L*, ab, and Chroma), drying time, and fruit microstructure (by SEM) of seedless barberry (Berberis vulgaris var. asperma), and effective moisture diffusivity coefficient (Deff), specific energy consumption (SEC), energy efficiency (EE) of the dryers, this experiment was performed. Drying treatments include microwave (100, 170, and 270 W), oven (60 and 70 °C), cabinet (50 and 70 °C), shade, sun, and fresh samples (control) and storage 6 months after drying (in polyethylene packaging and at a temperature of 5–10 °C). Results showed minimum and maximum drying times (50 min and 696 h), were related to microwave (270 W) and shade methods, respectively. The highest color values were observed in fruits treated with control, shade and sun treatments and the lowest values were observed in cabinet (70 °C) methods. According to the SEM results, microwave significantly affected surface structure of the dried sample compared to others. The findings indicated that the use of artificial drying methods than natural methods (sun and shade) cause a more significant reduction in color indexes, while vitamin C, soluble solids, and anthocyanin were significantly maintained at a high level. Storage reduced anthocyanin content of fruits almost 12%. Moreover, it was discovered EE and SEC values varied in the range of 1.16–25.26% and 12.20–1182 MJ/kg, respectively. Deff values were higher in microwave 270 W

Evaluation of the Changes in Thermal, Qualitative, and Antioxidant Properties of Terebinth (Pistacia atlantica) Fruit under Different Drying Methods

This study aims to investigate the effect of different drying methods on the thermal, qualitative, and antioxidant properties and pH of terebinth. To perform the experiments in this study, the hot air (HA), infrared (IR), microwave (MW), hot air&ndash;infrared (IR&ndash;HA), and hot air&ndash;microwave drying (MW&ndash;HA) methods were considered. The results showed that the minimum drying time was obtained by the hot air&ndash;microwave (MW&ndash;HA) method. However, the lowest specific energy consumption (SEC) and the highest energy efficiency (&eta;e) were obtained by the MW method. Considering the color criteria, the best method was obtained by the MW&ndash;HA method. The highest amount of rehydration ratio (RR) and the lowest shrinkage (Sb) of the dried terebinth samples were obtained using the MW dryer compared with other drying methods. The MW and MW&ndash;HA methods resulted in higher contents of total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity (AntiOX) than other methods. According to the results of this study, the most effective drying method for terebinth was determined to be the MW and MW-HA methods