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Not AvailableMicrowave irradiation of 2-hydroxy chalcones under solvent-free conditions resulted in a ‘‘green-chemistry’’ procedure for the preparation of flavanones in good yields, using an unmodified household microwave oven and silica as solid support. By irradiation of 2-hydroxy chalcones with trifluoroacetic acid over silica gel, 11 known flavanones were prepared in high yields. The synthesised compounds were characterised using spectroscopic techniques, namely, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and IR, and screened for their antifungal activity in vitro against Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizoctonia solani by poisoned food technique. The compounds tested were found to be more active against R. solani, whereas against S. rolfsii, moderate activity was observed, as evident from LC50 values. The most potent compound 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one (4a) had LC50 value of 12.0 mg L71 followed by 11, 11a, 3a, 9a, 8a, 10a and 10 having LC50 values 18.21, 18.3, 32.9, 50.7, 88.8, 118.8 and 119.7 mg L71, respectively.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableIn this paper, we report the development, characterization and bioefficacy evaluation of fipronil nanoformulations against brown plant hopper (BPH); Nilaparvata lugens in rice. Nanoformulations were characterized for nanosizing and stability under variable conditions. Bioefficacy of nanoformulations were evaluated under field condition at farms of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during Kharif 2015. At milking stage BPH populations were above economic threshold level; followed by foliar application of fipronil nanoformulations at four doses (viz., 30, 45, 60 and 90 g a.i./ha) along with commercial formulation of fipronil. The mean mortality clearly indicated that all the insecticidal treatments were significantly superior over untreated control where, highest mortalities were observed in nanodispersions followed by monolithic dispersion and commercial formulation of fipronil. Treated plots 7 days after application @ 60 g a.i./ha has shown 93.47%, 86.89% and 80.47% reduction BPH population in nanodispersion, encapsulated monolithic dispersion and commercial formulation treated plots respectively. In comparison to commercial formulation @ 60 g a.i./ha yield has increased by 0.56 t ha¡1 (28.76%) and 0.26 t ha¡1 (14.04%) in nanodispersion and monolithic dispersion.Not Availabl

Amphiphilic polymer based nanoformulations of mancozeb for management of early blight in tomato

Not AvailableControlled release (CR) nanoformulations of Mancozeb (Manganese-zinc double salt of N, N-bisdithiocarbamic acid), a protective fungicide, have been developed using poly (ethylene glycols) (PEGs) based functionalized amphiphilic copolymers and evaluated for the management of early blight in tomato. During the field experiment, it was observed that number of infected leaflets/plants were less in developed formulation treated plants as compared to commercial products. Number of infected leaflets per plant was 2.40–4.60 and the number of fruits per plant were 6.40–9.00 at 50 mg L−1, whereas at 100 mg L−1, the corresponding numbers were 2.10-4.10 and 6.30-9.10 respectively. These formulations can be used to optimize the release of Mancozeb to achieve disease control for the desired period depending upon the matrix of the polymer used. Importantly, sufficient amount of active ingredient remains available for a reasonable period of time after application leading to reduced number of applications of pesticide.Not Availabl

Lipase-Catalyzed Solvent-Free Amidation of Phenolic Acids

<div><p></p><p>A series of N-alkyl-substituted amides, based on various phenolic acids, have been synthesized by the condensation of equimolar amounts of phenolic acids with different alkyl amines in the presence of Candida antarctica lipase at 60–90 °C in 16–20 h. The reactions were carried out in a solvent-free system without the use of any activating agents. All the products were obtained in appreciable amounts and the yields for different compounds varied between 75.6% and 83.5%. The synthesized compounds were characterized using spectroscopy techniques, namely infrared and NMR (¹H and ¹³C).</p></div

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Not AvailableBiopesticides are considered to be safe, target specific, biodegradable and eco-friendly. These, especially Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (neem) based biopesticides, are mainly used as emulsified concentrate (EC). There is growing interest in nano emulsions based on phytochemical mixtures due to their better efficacy compared to conventional biopesticides. A. indica seed oil and Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle (Citronella) oil are known to have pest control properties. However, their utilization is often restricted due to relatively low water solubility. This drawback can be overcome by encapsulating oils in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions or nano emulsions using low or high energy methods. In this study, various nano emulsions of crude neem and citronella oils with surfactants were developed and characterised by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Composition of various ingredients of nano emulsions was standardised. TEM study showed the spherical shape of neem and citronella oil nano emulsions. The average size of droplets of neem nano emulsion (NNE) with different percentage of citronella oil ranged from 11.23 ± 3.86 nm to 17.80 ± 4.52 nm while that of citronella nano emulsion (CNE) with different percentage of neem oil ranged from 8.12 ± 2.80 nm to 12.04 ± 3.74 nm. It was found that increase in surfactant ratio to neem oil or citronella oil decreases the size of droplets in nano emulsions. Further, in vitro antifungal study of against Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii was carried out by poisoned food technique. Results showed that neem nano emulsion 10 (NNE10) and citronella nano emulsion 10 (CNE10) were most active against R. solani (ED50 13.67 mg L−1 and 25.64 mg L−1) and S. rolfsii (ED50 14.71 mg L−1 and 20.88 mg L−1). The standardization of the composition and development of citronella essential oil and neem oil based nano emulsions and their antifungal activity against these two fungi has been reported for the first time.Not Availabl

The root endophyte fungus Piriformospora indica leads to early flowering, higher biomass and altered secondary metabolites of the medicinal plant, Coleus forskohlii

This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of plant probiotic fungus Piriformospora indica on the medicinal plant C. forskohlii. Interaction of the C. forskohlii with the root endophyte P. indica under field conditions, results in an overall increase in aerial biomass, chlorophyll contents and phosphorus acquisition. The fungus also promoted inflorescence development, consequently the amount of p-cymene in the inflorescence increased. Growth of the root thickness was reduced in P. indica treated plants as they became fibrous, but developed more lateral roots. Because of the smaller root biomass, the content of forskolin was decreased. The symbiotic interaction of C. forskohlii with P. indica under field conditions promoted biomass production of the aerial parts of the plant including flower development. The plant aerial parts are important source of metabolites for medicinal application. Therefore we suggest that the use of the root endophyte fungus P. indica in sustainable agriculture will enhance the medicinally important chemical production