Mycogenic silver nanoparticles from endophytic trichoderma atroviride with antimicrobial activity

There is an increasing interest in developing nanoparticles with diverse biologic activities. To this end, we prepared 10 to 15 nm silver nanoparticles (AgNP) from native isolates of Trichoderma atroviride. Within this study, endophytic fungi hosted four medicinal plants in Saint Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt have been isolated by surface sterilization technique on four isolation media. Ten species, based on their frequency of occurrence, out of twenty recovered taxa were tested for their capability to synthesize extracellular AgNPs. Trichoderma atroviride hosted Chiliadenus montanus was found to be the best candidate for the production of mycogenic AgNPs among all examined species. The mycosynthesized AgNPs were compared with chemically synthesized and characterized using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The HRTEM result showed the distribution of spherical AgNPs ranging from 10 to 15 nm. Trichoderma atroviride isolate was subjected to sequencing for confirmation of phenotypic identification. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1–5.8 s – ITS2 rDNA sequences obtained were compared with those deposited in the GenBank Database and registered with accession number MH283876 in the NCBI Database. Antibacterial, anticandidal and antifungal effects of chemically and mycosynthesized AgNPs were examined at various concentrations in vitro against six pathogenic bacteria and 4 pathogenic fungi by agar well diffusion technique. Standard antibiotics; Gentamicin, Amoxicillin, Clotrimazole, and Nystatin at 5 μg/disk were taken as positive controls, while 5% DMSO was used as the negative control. Our data revealed that the application of mycogenic AgNPs at a concentration of 100 ppm resulted in maximum inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. These data suggest that AgNPs from native isolates of Trichoderma atroviride (MH283876) offer a source of rapid synthesis of eco-friendly, economical biomaterials that show antimicrobial activities

Calcium availability regulates antioxidant system, physio-biochemical activities and alleviates salinity stress mediated oxidative damage in soybean seedlings

Salinity is considered as one of the devastating abiotic stress factors and global climate change has further worsened the situation. Present experiments were aimed to evaluate the role of calcium (Ca) availability on growth and salinity tolerance mechanisms in soybean. Seedlings were grown with (2 mM Ca) and without Ca supplementation and modulation in key physiological and biochemical parameters were studied. Salinity (100 mM NaCl) stress resulted in growth reduction in terms of height and biomass accumulation, which was more pronounced in Ca-deficient plants. Relative to control (Ca deficient) and NaCl stressed plants, Ca supplemented seedlings exhibited higher relative water content, pigment synthesis and the photosynthetic efficiency. Ca availability affected the synthesis of proline, glycine betaine and soluble sugars under normal and saline growth conditions. Optimal Ca supplementation up-regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes assayed and the contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione, and tocopherol) thereby reflecting in amelioration of NaCl induced oxidative damage. Moreover, increased accumulation of phenols due to Ca supplementation and the amelioration of NaCl mediated decline if nitrate reductase activity was observed. More importantly, Ca availability reduced the accumulation of Na under control and NaCl stressed conditions restricting the damging effects on metabolism. Availability of optimal Ca potentially regulates the salinity tolerance mechanisms in soybean by maintaining osmoregulation and antioxidant metabolism

Biogenic silver nanoparticles eradicate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from the sputum of COVID-19 patients

In recent investigations, secondary bacterial infections were found to be strongly related to mortality in COVID-19 patients. In addition, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria played an important role in the series of bacterial infections that accompany infection in COVID-19. The objective of the present study was to investigate the ability of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from strawberries (Fragaria ananassa L.) leaf extract without a chemical catalyst to inhibit Gram-negative P. aeruginosa and Gram-positive Staph aureus isolated from COVID-19 patient’s sputum. A wide range of measurements was performed on the synthesized AgNPs, including UV–vis, SEM, TEM, EDX, DLS, ζ -potential, XRD, and FTIR. UV-Visible spectral showed the absorbance at the wavelength 398 nm with an increase in the color intensity of the mixture after 8 h passed at the time of preparation confirming the high stability of the FA-AgNPs in the dark at room temperature. SEM and TEM measurements confirmed AgNPs with size ranges of ∼40-∼50 nm, whereas the DLS study confirmed their average hydrodynamic size as ∼53 nm. Furthermore, Ag NPs. EDX analysis showed the presence of the following elements: oxygen (40.46%), and silver (59.54%). Biosynthesized FA-AgNPs (ζ = −17.5 ± 3.1 mV) showed concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity for 48 h in both pathogenic strains. MTT tests showed concentration-dependent and line-specific effects of FA-AgNPs on cancer MCF-7 and normal liver WRL-68 cell cultures. According to the results, synthetic FA-AgNPs obtained through an environmentally friendly biological process are inexpensive and may inhibit the growth of bacteria isolated from COVID-19 patients

Treatment of Sweet Pepper with Stress Tolerance-Inducing Compounds Alleviates Salinity Stress Oxidative Damage by Mediating the Physio-Biochemical Activities and Antioxidant Systems

Salinity stress occurs due to the accumulation of high levels of salts in soil, which ultimately leads to the impairment of plant growth and crop loss. Stress tolerance-inducing compounds have a remarkable ability to improve growth and minimize the effects of salinity stress without negatively affecting the environment by controlling the physiological and molecular activities in plants. Two pot experiments were carried out in 2017 and 2018 to study the influence of salicylic acid (1 mM), yeast extract (6 g L−1), and proline (10 mM) on the physiological and biochemical parameters of sweet pepper plants under saline conditions (2000 and 4000 ppm). The results showed that salt stress led to decreasing the chlorophyll content, relative water content, and fruit yields, whereas electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline concentration, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the activities of antioxidant enzymes increased in salt-stressed plants. The application of salicylic acid (1 mM), yeast extract (6 g L−1), and proline (10 mM) markedly improved the physiological characteristics and fruit yields of salt-stressed plants compared with untreated stressed plants. A significant reduction in electrolyte leakage, MDA, and ROS was also recorded for all treatments. In conclusion, our results reveal the important role of proline, SA, and yeast extracts in enhancing sweet pepper growth and tolerance to salinity stress via modulation of the physiological parameters and antioxidants machinery. Interestingly, proline proved to be the best treatment.</jats:p

Folic Acid Confers Tolerance against Salt Stress-Induced Oxidative Damages in Snap Beans through Regulation Growth, Metabolites, Antioxidant Machinery and Gene Expression

Although the effect of folic acid (FA) and its derivatives (folates) have been extensively studied in humans and animals, their effects are still unclear in most plant species, specifically under various abiotic stress conditions. Here, the impact of FA as a foliar application at 0, 0.1, and 0.2 mM was studied on snap bean seedlings grown under non-saline and salinity stress (50 mM NaCl) conditions. The results indicated that under salinity stress, FA-treated plants revealed a significant (p &le; 0.05) increase in growth parameters (fresh and dry weight of shoot and root). A similar trend was observed in chlorophyll (Chl b), total chlorophyll, carotenoids, leaf relative water content (RWC), proline, free amino acids (FAA), soluble sugars, cell membrane stability index (CMSI), and K, Ca, and K/Na ratio compared to the untreated plants. In contrast, a significant decrease was observed in Na and salinity-induced oxidative damage as indicated by reduced H2O2 production (using biochemical and histochemical detection methods) and rate of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde; MDA). This enhancement was correlated by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Gene expression analyses conducted using qRT-PCR demonstrated that genes coding for the Na+/H+ antiporter protein Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1), the tonoplast-localized Na+/H+ antiporter protein (NHX1), and the multifunctional osmotic protective protein (Osmotin) were significantly up-regulated in the FA-treated plants under both saline and non-saline treatments. Generally, treatment with 0.2 mM FA was more potent than 0.1 mM and can be recommended to improve snap bean tolerance to salinity stress

Enhancement of A Cationic Surfactant by Capping Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization and Multiple Applications

There is scarce information on cationic surfactants&rsquo; biocidal and corrosion inhbibition effects on Slime-Forming Bacteria (SFB) isolated from oil field formation water. Therefore, this work focused on the the synthesis of a cationic surfactant (CS) to increase its features by capping different metal nanoparticles (zinc, ZnNPs-C-CS; manganese, MnNPs-C-CS and tin, SnNPs-C-CS) and used them as biocides and corrosion inhibitors. The cationic surfactant was synthesized and characterized by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Afterwards, different nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and exploited to cap by the CS. The CS and the different nanoparticles capped by the CS were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility against standard bacterial and yeast strains. The synthesized compounds were further evaluated as anti-biofilms agents against positively-developed bacterial biofilms. Moreover, the CS and the ZnNPs-C-CS, MnNPs-C-CS, and SnNPs-C-CS were assessed as potential biocides against SFB, particularly Pseudomonas sp. (isolated from contaminated formation water), and as corrosion inhibitors against cultivated salinity. The results revealed the great effect of the different CS-capped NPs as broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agents at lower Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs), Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs), Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations (MFCs) and Minimum Biofilm Inhibitory Concentrations (MBICs), and the activities were reported in order of SnNPs-C-CS &gt; MnNPs-C-CS &gt; ZnNPs-C-CS &gt; CS. Furthermore, the ZnNPs-C-CS, MnNPs-C-CS, and SnNPs-C-CS demonstrated biocidal and corrosion inhibition effects against Pseudomonas sp. at a salinity of 3.5% NaCl, with metal corrosion inhibition efficiencies of 88.6, 94.0 and 96.9%, in comparison to a CS efficiency of 85.7%. In conclusion, the present work provides a newly synthesized cationic surfactant and has enhanced its antimicrobial and its metal corrosion inhibition effects by capping different nanoparticles, and it has been successfully applied against slime-forming bacteria at a salinity of 3.5% NaCl

Influence of Maternal Habitat on Salinity Tolerance of Zygophyllum coccineum with Regard to Seed Germination and Growth Parameters

Zygophyllum coccineum is a facultative halophyte widely distributed in desert wadis and coastal areas in Egypt. Here, we investigated the influences of maternal habitat on tolerance to salt stress during germination and seedling growth under salinity (0, 100, 200, 400 mM NaCl) of three populations of Z. coccineum from a saline habitat (Manzala coast) and non-saline habitats (Wadi Houf and Wadi Asyuti). In all populations, seed germination started within two days in distilled water but germination indices were reduced significantly with salt level increase. Germination percentage was not significantly greater for seeds from non-saline habitats than for those from the saline habitat under moderate salinity (100, 200 mM NaCl), but only seeds from the saline habitat were able to germinate under high salt stress (400 mM NaCl). Germination recovery was greater for seeds from the saline habitat compared to non-saline populations. At the seedling level, the Manzala population showed the lowest inhibition of shoot length and leaf area under salinity (200 and 400 mM NaCl) compared to non-saline habitats. In the same context, the Manzala population had the maximum chlorophyll a content, superoxide dismutase and esterase activities under salinity compared to non-saline populations, but salinity had a non-significant effect on chlorophyll b between the three populations. Carotenoids were enhanced with the increase of salt levels in all populations. These results suggest the salt tolerance of Manzala population is derived from maternal salinity and adaptive plasticity of this species may play an important role in the wide distribution of Z. coccineum

<i>Trichoderma viride</i> Isolate Tvd44 Enhances Potato Growth and Stimulates the Defense System against Potato Virus Y

Biological treatments may be employed to combat viral plant infections. In this study, Trichoderma viride was applied as a biocontrol agent to enhance the systemic resistance of potato plants against potato virus Y (PVY). T. viride isolate Tvd44 (OQ991378) was isolated and molecularly characterized before being used as an agent against PVY. The foliar application of Tvd44 on PVY-inoculated potatoes significantly promoted plant growth, height, roots, and number of leaves. Results also showed that the levels of peroxidase (POX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), total proteins, and chlorophyll increased in potato leaves 21 days post-inoculation compared to untreated plants. Results of qPCR assays conducted on Tvd44-treated plants exhibited a reduction in PVY-CP accumulation levels up to 18.76-fold compared to untreated plants (101.82-fold). qPCR results also showed that defense-related genes (PR-1, POD, PAL, CHS, and HQT) were highly expressed in all Tvd44-treated plants. Three compounds: thiocarbamic acid, N,N-dimethyl, S-1,3-diphenyl-2-butenyl ester; 1,1-dicyano-2-methyl-4-(p-cyanophenyl) propane; and trans-[(2,3-diphenylcyclopropyl)methyl] phenyl sulfide were the most abundant compounds detected in the ethyl acetate extract of Tvd44-culture filtrate using GC–MS analysis. Our finding supports the efficacy of T. viride isolate Tvd44 as a potential agent that can successfully control PVY infections in potatoes and increase the productivity of the crop

Plant-Based Copper Oxide Nanoparticles; Biosynthesis, Characterization, Antibacterial Activity, Tanning Wastewater Treatment, and Heavy Metals Sorption

Herein, the aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea has been used as a safe, cheap, eco-friendly, and applicable scale-up method to bio-fabricate copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs). The character of CuO-NPs were determined using UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray(EDX), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential. Spherical and crystalline CuO-NPs with a size range of 5–30 nm at a maximum surface plasmon resonance of 275 nm were successfully fabricated. The main components of the green-synthesized particles were Cu and O with weight percentages of 49.92 and 28.45%, respectively. A Zeta-potential value of −24.6 mV was recorded for CuO-NPs, indicating their high stability. The plant-based CuO-NPs showed promising antimicrobial and catalytic activity in a dose-dependent manner. Results showed that the synthesized CuO-NPs had the efficacy to inhibit the growth of pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans with low MIC values in the ranges of 6.25–25 µg/mL. The highest decolorization percentages of tanning wastewater were attained under sunlight irradiation conditions at a concentration of 2.0 mg/mL after 200 min with percentages of 88.6 ± 1.5% compared to those which were recorded under dark conditions (70.3 ± 1.2%). The physicochemical parameters of tanning wastewater including total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and conductivity under optimum conditions were significantly decreased with percentages of 95.2, 86.7, 91.4, 87.2, and 97.2%, respectively. Interestingly, the heavy metals including cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr (VI)) decreased with percentages of 73.2, 80.8, 72.4, 64.4, and 91.4%, respectively, after treatment of tanning wastewater with CuO-NPs under optimum conditions. Overall, the plant-synthesized CuO-NPs that have antimicrobial and catalytic activities are considered a promising nano-catalyst and environmentally beneficial to wastewater treatment

Exogenous Nitric Oxide Mitigates Nickel-Induced Oxidative Damage in Eggplant by Upregulating Antioxidants, Osmolyte Metabolism, and Glyoxalase Systems

Nitric oxide (NO) at optimal levels is considered beneficial to plant functioning. The present study was carried out to investigate the role of exogenously applied NO (100 and 150 &micro;M sodium nitropurusside, SNP) in amelioration of nickel (Ni)-mediated oxidative effects in eggplant. Ni stress declined growth and biomass production, relative water content (RWC), and chlorophyll pigment synthesis, thereby affecting the photosynthetic efficiency. Exogenously applied SNP proved beneficial in mitigating the Ni-mediated growth restrictions. NO-treated seedlings exhibited improved photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content with the effect of being apparent at lower concentration (100 &micro;M SNP). SNP upregulated the antioxidant system mitigating the oxidative damage on membranes due to Ni stress. The activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase was upregulated due to SNP which also increased the ascorbate and reduced glutathione content. SNP-supplied seedlings also showed higher proline and glycine betaine accumulation, thereby improving RWC and antioxidant system. Glyoxalase I activity was induced due to SNP application declining the accumulation of methylglyoxal. NO-mediated mitigation of Ni toxicity was confirmed using NO scavenger (PTIO, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide), which reversed the influence of SNP almost entirely on the parameters studied. Uptake of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) was increased due to SNP application and Ni was reduced significantly. Therefore, this study revealed the efficiency of exogenous SNP in enhancing Ni stress tolerance through upregulating antioxidant and glyoxalase systems