Improving plant adaptation to soil antimony contamination: the synergistic contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and olive mill waste.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the alterations in biochemical and physiological responses of oat plants exposed to antimony (Sb) contamination in soil. Specifically, we evaluated the effectiveness of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) and olive mill waste (OMW) in mitigating the effects of Sb contamination. The soil was treated with a commercial strain of AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) and OMW (4% w/w) under two different levels of Sb (0 and 1500 mg kg-1 soil). RESULTS: The combined treatment (OMW + AMF) enhanced the photosynthetic rate (+ 40%) and chlorophyll a (+ 91%) and chlorophyll b (+ 50%) content under Sb condition, which in turn induced more biomass production (+ 67-78%) compared to the contaminated control plants. More photosynthesis in OMW + AMF-treated plants gives a route for phenylalanine amino acid synthesis (+ 69%), which is used as a precursor for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids (+ 110%), polyphenols (+ 26%), and anthocyanins (+ 63%) compared to control plants. More activation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (+ 38%) and chalcone synthase (+ 26%) enzymes in OMW + AMF-treated plants under Sb stress indicated the activation of phenylpropanoid pathways in antioxidant metabolites biosynthesis. There was also improved shifting of antioxidant enzyme activities in the ASC/GSH and catalytic pathways in plants in response to OMW + AMF and Sb contamination, remarkably reducing oxidative damage markers. CONCLUSIONS: While individual applications of OMW and AMF also demonstrated some degree of plant tolerance induction, the combined presence of AMF with OMW supplementation significantly enhanced plant biomass production and adaptability to oxidative stress induced by soil Sb contamination.

Development of transgenic Paulownia trees expressing antimicrobial thionin genes for enhanced resistance to fungal infections using chitosan nanoparticles.

There is an increasing focus on genetically altering Paulownia trees to enhance their resistance against fungal infections, given their rapid growth and quality wood production. The aim of this research was to establish a technique for incorporating two antimicrobial thionin genes, namely thionin-60 (thio-60) and thionin-63 (thio-63), into Paulownia tomentosa and Paulownia hybrid 9501 through the utilization of chitosan nanoparticles. The outcomes revealed the successful gene transfer into Paulownia trees utilizing chitosan nanoparticles. The effectiveness of thionin proteins against plant pathogens Fusarium and Aspergillus was examined, with a specific focus on Fusarium equiseti due to limited available data. In non-transgenic Paulownia species, the leaf weight inhibition percentage varied from 25 to 36 %, whereas in transgenic species, it ranged from 22 to 7 %. In general, Paulownia species expressing thio-60 displayed increased resistance to F. equiseti, while those expressing thio-63 exhibited heightened resistance to A. niger infection. The thionin proteins displayed a strong affinity for the phospholipid bilayer of the fungal cell membrane, demonstrating their capability to disrupt its structure. The transgenic plants created through this technique showed increased resistance to fungal infections. Thionin-60 demonstrated superior antifungal properties in comparison to thio-63, being more effective at disturbing the fungal cell membrane. These findings indicate that thio-60 holds potential as a novel antifungal agent and presents a promising approach for enhancing the antimicrobial traits of genetically modified Paulownia trees.

Induction of tomato plant biochemical immune responses by the synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles against wilt-induced Fusarium oxysporum / Inducción de respuestas inmunes bioquímicas de la planta de tomate mediante nanopartículas de óxido de zinc sintetizadas contra Fusarium oxysporum inducido por la marchitez

The current study used zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) to protect the tomato plant against Fusarium wilt. Gamma rays were used to synthesize ZnO-NPs, and the designed ZnO-NPs were characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis.) spectroscopy. We found that the 20 kGy dose is the most effective for ZnO-NPs synthesis, with the highest O.D. = 1.65 (diluted 3 times) at 400 nm. The scale of ZnO-NPs ranged from 10.45 to 75.25 nm with an average diameter of 40.20 nm. The results showed that the designed ZnO-NPs showed promising activity as a potent inducer of plant physiological immunity against Fusarium wilt disease. Likewise, ZnO-NPs significantly reduced the wilt disease symptoms incidence by 28.57% and high protection by 67.99% against F. oxysporum. Additionally, infected tomato plants treated with ZnO-NPs show improved shoot length (44.71%), root length (40.0%), number of leaves (60.0 %), chlorophyll a (36.93%), chlorophyll b (16.46%), and carotenoids (21.87%) versus infected plants. Notably, in the treatment of tomato seedlings, the beneficial effects of ZnO-NPs extended to increase not only in osmolyte contents but also total phenol contents in comparison with control plants. In conclusion, the designed ZnO-NPs can control Fusarium wilt disease and improve and develop biochemical compounds responsible for defense against fusarial infection.(AU)

Induction of tomato plant biochemical immune responses by the synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles against wilt-induced Fusarium oxysporum.

The current study used zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) to protect the tomato plant against Fusarium wilt. Gamma rays were used to synthesize ZnO-NPs, and the designed ZnO-NPs were characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis.) spectroscopy. We found that the 20 kGy dose is the most effective for ZnO-NPs synthesis, with the highest O.D. = 1.65 (diluted 3 times) at 400 nm. The scale of ZnO-NPs ranged from 10.45 to 75.25 nm with an average diameter of 40.20 nm. The results showed that the designed ZnO-NPs showed promising activity as a potent inducer of plant physiological immunity against Fusarium wilt disease. Likewise, ZnO-NPs significantly reduced the wilt disease symptoms incidence by 28.57% and high protection by 67.99% against F. oxysporum. Additionally, infected tomato plants treated with ZnO-NPs show improved shoot length (44.71%), root length (40.0%), number of leaves (60.0 %), chlorophyll a (36.93%), chlorophyll b (16.46%), and carotenoids (21.87%) versus infected plants. Notably, in the treatment of tomato seedlings, the beneficial effects of ZnO-NPs extended to increase not only in osmolyte contents but also total phenol contents in comparison with control plants. In conclusion, the designed ZnO-NPs can control Fusarium wilt disease and improve and develop biochemical compounds responsible for defense against fusarial infection.

In Silico Evaluation, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Structural Modeling of the Class II Hydrophobin Family from Different Fungal Phytopathogens.

The class II hydrophobin group (HFBII) is an extracellular group of proteins that contain the HFBII domain and eight conserved cysteine residues. These proteins are exclusively secreted by fungi and have multiple functions with a probable role as effectors. In the present study, a total of 45 amino acid sequences of hydrophobin class II proteins from different phytopathogenic fungi were retrieved from the NCBI database. We used the integration of well-designed bioinformatic tools to characterize and predict their physicochemical parameters, novel motifs, 3D structures, multiple sequence alignment (MSA), evolution, and functions as effector proteins through molecular docking. The results revealed new features for these protein members. The ProtParam tool detected the hydrophobicity properties of all proteins except for one hydrophilic protein (KAI3335996.1). Out of 45 proteins, six of them were detected as GPI-anchored proteins by the PredGPI server. Different 3D structure templates with high pTM scores were designed by Multifold v1, AlphaFold2, and trRosetta. Most of the studied proteins were anticipated as apoplastic effectors and matched with the ghyd5 gene of Fusarium graminearum as virulence factors. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis unraveled the molecular function of this group as GTP-binding proteins, while a molecular docking analysis detected a chitin-binding effector role. From the MSA analysis, it was observed that the HFBII sequences shared conserved 2 Pro (P) and 2 Gly (G) amino acids besides the known eight conserved cysteine residues. The evolutionary analysis and phylogenetic tree provided evidence of episodic diversifying selection at the branch level using the aBSREL tool. A detailed in silico analysis of this family and the present findings will provide a better understanding of the HFBII characters and evolutionary relationships, which could be very useful in future studies.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as an effective approach to enhance the growth and metabolism of soybean plants under thallium (TI) toxicity.

Thallium (TI) is a toxic metal that can trigger harmful impacts on growth and metabolism of plants. Utilizing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) proves to be an effective strategy for alleviating heavy metal toxicity in plants. To this end, AMF were applied to mitigate TI toxic effects on the growth, primary and secondary metabolism of soybean plants. Here, TI stress inhibited the growth and photosynthetic parameters of soybean plants. It also increased the oxidative damage as demonstrated by increased levels of oxidative markers, (MDA and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity). However, AMF could mitigate the reduction in growth and photosynthesis induced by TI, as well as the induction of oxidative damage. To overcome TI toxicity, AMF increased the levels and metabolism of osmolytes such as proline in soybean plants. This was in line with the increased activities of key enzymes that involved in proline biosynthesis (e.g., P5CS (pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase), P5CR (pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase) and OAT (ornithine aminotransferase) under the AMF and/or TI treatments. Furthermore, soybean plants could benefit from the synergism between AMF and TI to enhance the contents of individual (e.g., spermine and spermidine) and total polyamines as well as their metabolic enzymes (e.g., arginine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase). Overall, the combined application of AMF emerges as a viable approach for alleviating TI toxicity in soybean plants.

Secretome Analysis for a New Strain of the Blackleg Fungus Plenodomus lingam Reveals Candidate Proteins for Effectors and Virulence Factors.

The fungal secretome is the main interface for interactions between the pathogen and its host. It includes the most important virulence factors and effector proteins. We integrated different bioinformatic approaches and used the newly drafted genome data of P. lingam isolate CAN1 (blackleg of rapeseed fungus) to predict the secretion of 217 proteins, including many cell-wall-degrading enzymes. All secretory proteins were identified; 85 were classified as CAZyme families and 25 were classified as protease families. Moreover, 49 putative effectors were predicted and identified, where 39 of them possessed at least one conserved domain. Some pectin-degrading enzymes were noticeable as a clustering group according to STRING web analysis. The secretome of P. lingam CAN1 was compared to the other two blackleg fungal species (P. lingam JN3 and P. biglobosus CA1) secretomes and their CAZymes and effectors were identified. Orthologue analysis found that P. lingam CAN1 shared 14 CAZy effectors with other related species. The Pathogen-Host Interaction database (PHI base) classified the effector proteins in several categories where most proteins were assigned as reduced virulence and two of them termed as hypervirulence. Nowadays, in silico approaches can solve many ambiguous issues about the mechanism of pathogenicity between fungi and plant host with well-designed bioinformatics tools.

In silico and in vitro investigation of the antifungal activity of trimetallic Cu-Zn-magnetic nanoparticles against Fusarium oxysporum with stimulation of the tomato plant's drought stress tolerance response.

Fusarium oxysporum is the fungus responsible for Fusarium wilt. Tomatoes and other plants acquire Fusarium wilt through their root systems. Occasionally, fungicides applied to the soil are used to combat the disease; however, some strains have developed resistance. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) trimetallic magnetic zinc and copper nanoparticles CMC-Cu-Zn-FeMNPs are one of the most promising antifungal agents against a wide range of fungi. One of the most important aspects of using magnetic nanoparticles is their ability to target cells, which confirms the drug's potent fungicidal activity. Using a UV-spectrophotometer, the characterization of synthesized CMC-Cu-Zn-FeMNPs revealed four peaks at226,271, 321 and 335 nm, as well as spherical nanoparticles with a mean size of 5.905 nm and a surface potential of -61.7 mv. In this study, CMC-Cu-Zn-FeMNPs were used to inhibit the growth of F. oxysporum by interfering with the ergosterol production metabolic pathway. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated that the nanoparticles were able to bind to sterol 14-alpha demethylase responsible for inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the nanoparticles upregulated tomato plants and other assessed parameters under drought stress and downregulated the velvet complex and virulence factors of F. oxysporum on plants. The study results indicate that CMC-Cu-Zn-FeMNPs may be a promising and eco-friendly solution with low potential of accumulation and easy to collected alternative to conventional chemical pesticides that can have negative impacts on the environment and human health. Furthermore, it could provide a sustainable solution for managing Fusarium wilt disease, which can significantly reduce tomato yield and quality.

Synthesis and characterization of Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles for potent antifungal activity against dry rot of ginger (Fusarium oxysporum).

Current study signifies the use of nanoparticles as alternative in plant disease management to avoid harmful effect of pesticide and fungicide residue. Synthesis of nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) by hydrothermal method and studied their X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Raman spectra, and UV spectra and further successfully evaluated for antifungal activity against a soil and seed borne pathogenic fungus (Fusarium oxysporum).Among various pests, fungal pathogens are the main cause of crop destruction and we developed nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) which is successfully evaluated for antimycotic activity against dry rot (F. oxysporum) of ginger which causes 50-70% losses in the ginger plant. In vitro and in vivo analysis designated that the nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) has shown an excellent antifungal activity against F. oxysporum at 0.5 mg/ml concentration. Similarly, no disease incidence was recorded when Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles used at 0.5 mg/ml concentration under in vivo conditions. In plants various environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic) leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing progressive oxidative damage and ultimately leads to cell death. The role of ROS in nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) represents by reduction in the growth inhibition of F. oxysporum. We speculated in light of these results that the cytotoxic effect of Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles on F. oxysporum may be mediated through ROS. We can suggest the role of nanoparticles (Ni0.5Al0.5Fe2O4) gives a promising result as a fungicidal activity and could be a novel family of future new generation fungicide.

Assessment of probiotic efficacy and anticancer activities of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ESSG1 (MZ683194.1) and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus ESSG2 (MZ683195.1) isolated from dairy products.

Resistance to antibiotics is on the rise, and its indiscriminate usage has resulted in human and animal management constraints. In the research for an innovative treatment to diminish antimicrobial resistance, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) throw light on diminishing this problem in public health. As a result, this paper looked at the efficacy of LAB isolates and their active metabolites to combat pathogens, reduce antibiotic use in clinical settings, and explore the anticancer potential of 8 strains of LAB isolated from dairy products. Antifungal and antibacterial potential of LAB isolates against selected crop pathogenic fungi and food pathogenic bacteria had been estimated. Results revealed that all isolates exert antioxidant efficacy relating to DPPH, NO scavenging ability, reducing power, superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, and anti-lipid peroxidation potential. Additionally, 12B isolate exert the highest anticancer upshot with IC50 values of 43.98 ± 0.4; 36.7 ± 0.6, 43.1 ± 0.8, and 35.1 ± 0.3 µg/ml, versus Caco-2, MCF-7, HepG-2, and PC3 cell lines respectively, whereas 13B isolate significantly had the highest selectivity index between peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the tested human cancer cell lines compared to 5-fluorouracil. 13B was the most apoptosis-dependent death inducer for all human cancer cell lines besides exerting the lowest percentage of apoptosis against PBMCs suggesting its safety against PBMCs. The most promising strains 12B and 13B were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ESSG1 (MZ683194.1) and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus ESSG2 (MZ683195.1). LAB and their extracts are superb substitutive, safe, and efficient antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antitumor curative agents.

The Antifungal Activity of Ag/CHI NPs against Rhizoctonia solani Linked with Tomato Plant Health.

Pathogenic infestations are significant threats to vegetable yield, and have become an urgent problem to be solved. Rhizoctonia solani is one of the worst fungi affecting tomato crops, reducing yield in some regions. It is a known fact that plants have their own defense against such infestations; however, it is unclear whether any exogenous material can help plants against infestation. Therefore, we performed greenhouse experiments to evaluate the impacts of R. solani on 15- and 30-day old tomato plants after fungal infestation, and estimated the antifungal activity of nanoparticles (NPs) against the pathogen. We observed severe pathogenic impacts on the above-ground tissues of tomato plants which would affect plant physiology and crop production. Pathogenic infection reduced total chlorophyll and anthocyanin contents, which subsequently disturbed plant physiology. Further, total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were significantly increased in pathogen treatments. Constitutively, enhanced activities were estimated for catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS)in pathogen-treated plants. Moreover, pathogenesis-related genes, namely, chitinase, plant glutathione S-transferase (GST), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL1), pathogenesis-related protein (PR12), and pathogenesis-related protein (PR1) were evaluated, with significant differences between treated and control plants. In vitro and greenhouse antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), chitosan nanoparticles, and Ag NPs/CHI NPs composites and plant health was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry. We found astonishing results, namely, that Ag and CHI have antifungal activities against R. solani. Overall, plant health was much improved following treatment with Ag NPs/CHI NPs composites. In order to manage R. solani pathogenicity and improve tomato health, Ag/CHI NPs composites could be used infield as well as on commercial levels based on recommendations. However, there is an urgent need to first evaluate whether these NP composites have any secondary impacts on human health or the environment.

Novel 1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives as Potential Inhibitors against Covid-19 Main Protease: Synthesis, Characterization, Molecular Docking and DFT Studies.

The highly contagious nature of Covid-19 attracted us to this challenging area of research, mainly because the disease is spreading very fast and until now, no effective method of a safe treatment or a vaccine is developed. A library of novel 1,2,3-triazoles based 1,2,4-triazole, 1,3,4-oxadiazole and/or 1,3,4-thiadiazole scaffolds were designed and successfully synthesized. Different spectroscopic tools efficiently characterized all the newly synthesized hybrid molecules. An interesting finding is that some of the newly designed compounds revealed two isomeric forms. The ratio is affected by the size of the attached group as well as the type of the heteroatom forming the side ring attached to the central 1,2,3-triazole ring. The experimental spectroscopic data is in agreement with the DFT calculations at B3LYP 6-31G (d,p) with regard to the geometrical conformation of the prepared compounds. The DFT results revealed that the stability of one isomeric form over the other in the range of 0.057-0.161 Kcal mol-1. A docking study was performed using PyRx and AutoDockVina to investigate the activity of the prepared 1,2,3-triazoles as antiviral agents. Bond affinity scores of the 1,2,3-triazole derivatives were detected in the range of -6.0 to -8.8 kcal/mol showing binding to the active sites of the 6LU7 protease and hence could be anticipated to inhibit the activity of the enzyme. Verification of the docking results was performed using the Mpro alignment of coronaviruses substrate-binding pockets of COVID-19 against the ligands. As per these results, it can be proposed that the title hybrid molecules are acceptable candidates against COVID-19 for possible medicinal agents.

Triazole Fungicide Residues and Their Inhibitory Effect on Some Trichothecenes Mycotoxin Excretion in Wheat Grains.

Wheat is one of the global strategic crops and ranks third in terms of cereals production. Wheat crops are exposed to many fungal infections during their cultivation stages, some of which have the ability to secrete a number of toxic secondary metabolites that threaten the quality of the grains, consumer health, producer economics, and global trade exchange. Fifty-four random samples were collected from wheat which originated from different countries. The samples included 14 types of soft wheat to study the extent of their contamination with deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin by auto-ELISA technology and r-biopharm microtiter plate. All samples were contaminated with DON toxin except one sample, and the values ranged between 40.7 and 1018.8 µg/kg-1. The highest contamination rates were in Lithuanian wheat and the lowest was in Indian wheat. Meanwhile, the highest average level of T-2 toxin contamination was in Lithuanian wheat grains with 377.4 µg/kg-1, and the lowest average was 115.3 µg/kg-1 in Polish wheat. GC-MS/MS and multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) were used to detect 15 triazole derivatives in the collected samples, which may be used to combat fungal diseases on wheat during the growing season. Only 9 derivatives were found: simeconazole, penconazole, hexaconazole, cyproconazole, diniconazole, tebuconazole, metconazole, fenbuconazole, and difenoconazole. These derivatives varied according to the origin of the wheat samples as well as their concentration, whereas another 6 derivatives were not detected in any samples. A direct inverse relationship was found between the DON concentration in the samples and the residues of simeconazole, penconazole, diniconazole, tebuconazole, metconazole, fenbuconazole, and difenoconazole, and the T-2 toxin showed the same relationship except for tebuconazole. The safe and rational use of some triazole derivatives may be a new approach and a promising strategy to not only reduce plant diseases and their problems, but also to get rid of some mycotoxins as grain contaminants.

Ethnicity is a major determinant of the pattern of dermatological diseases among pilgrims during the Hajj in 2019.

The authors aim to explore the pattern and demographics of dermatological disorders occurring during Hajj 2019. Clinical records from three major public healthcare facilities in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara were retrieved for the period July-August, 2019. Collected data included age, gender, nationality, and dermatological complaints. 550 records were retrieved. Patients were 282 (51.3%) males and 268 (48.7%) females with a mean age of 58.3±12.6 years. Most patients were Asians (n=320, 58.2%), and Africans (n=183, 33.3%). Accidents (n=226, 41.1%), and infections (148, 26.9%) were the most common complaints. Asians and Africans had significantly: more accidents and less infections (P=0.002, P=0.027 respectively). They were the only category affected by exacerbations of auto immune diseases. Asian and African pilgrims are mainly affected by traumatic dermatologic conditions. Preventive awareness programs should target these ethnicities to reduce their higher rates of accidents. Other ethnicities need programs that promote hygienic practices and target infections.

Synthesis of eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using Allium sp. and their antimicrobial potential on selected vaginal bacteria.

Allium cepa and garlic Allium sativa plants were used to evaluate their potential synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial effect on Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Transmission electron microscopy (SEM) was used to distinguish the morphology of the nanoparticles attained from plant extracts. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer established the existence of elemental sign of the silver and homogenous allocation of silver nanoparticles. Diffraction by using X ray (XRD) analysis for the formed AgNPs revealed spherical plus cubical shapes structure with different planes ranged between 111 and 311 planes. The antibacterial action of AgNPs against vaginal pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recognized. Our work showed a rapid, eco-safety and suitable method for the synthesis of AgNPs from Allium cepa and garlic Allium sativa extracts and can be used in biomedical applications.

Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Toxigenic Fusarium spp. and Deoxynivalenol Secretion in Some Grains.

BACKGROUND: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most important fungal mycotoxins excreted by different Fusarium species in many types of grains and food commodities. It has high damage impact on human and animal immune systems. OBJECTIVE: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the influence of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) as an inhibitor for the DON toxin excreted from some Fusarium spp., which were isolated from barely, wheat, and corn grains. METHODS: Ag-NPs were estimated on Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, using levels of 5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm, while the effect on DON was conducted with ELISA. Tri13 and Tri7 primers were used to evaluate the impact of Ag-NPs on the DNA of tested toxigenic Fusarium isolates. RESULTS: Results revealed that the relative density values (Rd, %) of the isolated Fusarium from barley, wheat, and corn grains were 41.27, 26.47, and 30.76%, respectively. The predominant fungus was F. graminearum and F. culmorum in wheat and barley, respectively. The maximum inhibition diameters used for concentrations were 0.5, 2.8, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.31 mm, respectively. The impact of Ag-NPs on genomic structure was limited. Results demonstrated that Ag-NPs have the ability to reduce the linear growth of Fusarium spp. and eliminate the DON toxin to 34.44, 34.60, and 34.89% at 50, 75, and 100 ppm. CONCLUSIONS: Ag-NPs are considered nontransgenic substances, and their impact on Fusarium DNA under tested concentrations has been neglected. Ag-NPs may work as an alternative to fungicides to reduce fungal growth and eliminate DON mycotoxins.

Cultivation of oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus on date-palm leaves mixed with other agro-wastes in Saudi Arabia.

Promoting the use of agricultural waste is one of the newly prepared water and environment friendly agriculture strategies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The objective of this research was to study the efficiency of cultivating oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on date palm wastes mixed with other agricultural wastes available in KSA. Four agricultural wastes were mixed with date palm leaves at different ratios, with two supplements and three spawn rates were used. Wheat straw mixed with date palm at ratio of 25 (date palm): 75 (agro-waste) showed the best results in most of the parameters measured. Corn meal was superior over wheat bran as a supplement in all treatments. Parameter values increased with the increase of the spawn rate of P. ostreatus. Treatments with date palm leave wastes contained higher carbohydrates and fibers. No significant differences were found among the fruiting bodies produced on the different agro-wastes studied for the different proximates analyzed. Analyses of metal concentration showed that potassium was the highest in all the treatments tested followed by Na, Mg, Ca, and Zn. This is the first study that reported the success of growing oyster mushroom on date palm leaf wastes mixed with other agro-wastes obtainable in KSA.