Diversity of active constituents in Cichorium endivia and Cynara cornigera extracts

The present study attempts to explore the phytochemical constituents of different extracts from Cynara cornigera and Cichorium endivia plant materials. The two species studied are native in Egypt. Five different solvents, viz., aqueous, methylene chloride, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol were used. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, sterols (stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol), terpenes (α-amyrin, ursolic and oleanolic acid), and hydrocarbons (n-alkane), the latter found in low amount. The ethyl acetate and water extracts of C. cornigera root showed lower mass fractions of phenolic compounds ranged from 20 to 81 g/100 g, and higher amounts in ethyl acetate extract of the inflorescences and butanol extract of the root where values ranged from 195 to 399 g/100 g. The β-sitosterol and stigmasterol were present in all plant extracts. Oleanolic and ursolic acids were detected in roots, leaves and inflorescences of C. cornigera and in C. endivia shoot. The ethyl acetate extracts from C. cornigera leaf and inflorescence attained higher chemical diversity than the other extracts. Alternatively, sterols and triterpenes were the major constituents. The high chemical diversity of active constituents justifies the future potential use of the two species at commercial level

The Effect of Phosphate Fertilization, Biofertilizer and Humic Acid on Phosphorous and Iron Availability in Soil

This experiment is conducted in the Research Station, Abu-Ghraib , directorate of Agricultural Research , Ministry of Agriculture during the Autumn season of 2013, to investigate the effect of P fertilizer , bio fertilizer, humic acid and their interaction on the availability of, P and Fe, in the soil, their uptake, on yield and some yield components of corn(Zea mays L). The RCBD has been adapted and each treatment has been replicated three times. The experiment treatments are two levels of P fertilizer, P0 (without adding P fertilizer), P1 (adding 30 kg P. ha-1), three levels of humic acid, H0 (without adding humic acid), H1 (adding 20 kg H.A ha-1), H2 (adding 40 kg H.A. ha-1), and B0 (without inoculation of seed), B1 (inolculating seed with Bacillus), B2 (inoculating seed with Pseudomonas bacteria). P fertilizer and humic acid treatments are added and mixed with soil surface (10-15 cm). All experiment units have received 240 kg N ha-1 and 120 kg K ha -1 in three doses during the plant growth. Inoculated and other corn seed are planted in 10-7-2013 in plots of (3x3) m2 with distance between plants 0.25 and between lines 0.75 forming 4 lines and plant population 48 plant plot-1. The results can be summarized as follows: In the field experiment, the main effects of P fertilizer, biofertilizer and humic acid are significant in increasing the availability of P and Fe in soil and eventually increasing their uptake by corn plant. However, more significant increases are associated with all possible interactions of these factors. The highest availability of P, in soil is obtained at the interaction treatment of P1B1H2, and Fe at the interaction treatment P1B2H2 at both silking and harvesting stages of corn

Interactive Effect of Different Phosphoure Levels, Biofertilizer and Organic Fertilization on Phosphorus Availability and Uptake in Corn Plant (Zea mays L.)

This experiment aims at testing the activity of biofertilizer, level of phosphorus and humic acid on P availability in the soil. The experiment has been executed in wood shade house of Soil and Water Resource Department College of Agriculture, Abu-Ghraib. Soil is collected from the soil surface (0-30 cm) of the field experiment, passed through the sieve of 4 mm then sterilized with methylbromide and packed at the rate of 5 kg soil / plastic pot. The experiment involves three levels of P fertilizer (0 , 30 and 60 kg P ha-1) P0, P1 , P2, three levels of humic acid (0 , 20 and 40 kg H.A. ha-1), and two levels of biofertilizer BO (seed not inoculated) and B1 (seed inoculated with biofertilizer) and all possible combinations among these variables. There are 18 treatments each replicated three times. The N and K fertilizers were added to all experiment units at the rate of 240 kg N and 120 kg K . ha-1 . The RCD is adopted. P fertilizer and humic acid are added and mixed with soil surface in pots, and corn seed of biofertilizer treatments inoculated. Corn seeds of Var. 5018 are planted at the rate of 8 seeds pot-1 in 10-5-2013, then seedling thinned to 4 plant pot-1 after 10 days from planting. The results can be summarized as following: 1. The results from pot experiment show active biofertilizer as there is an increase in availability of P in the soil and its uptake by corn plant. Moreover, there are significant increases in dry weight, weight of corn roots by inoculating corn seed with biofertilizer. 2.There is no significant difference between 30 kg P ha-1 and 60 kg P ha-1 on the most of the studies variables (above)