Genotypes, epidemiological variables and fungicides application associated with wheat leaf rust development and grain yield.

The present study was carried out at the Plant Pathology Hafizabad Research Station, the University of Layyah, during the crop seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to evaluate the response of various wheat genotypes against leaf rust severity (%), environmental conditions favourable for disease development and grain yield. Except for minimum temperature and minimum relative humidity, which had a negative association with disease development, there was a significant correlation between leaf rust severity (%) and all environmental conditions such as maximum temperature, maximum relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed. All epidemiological variables such as maximum temperature, minimum temperature, minimum relative humidity, rainfall and wind speed significantly affect the disease progression. The disease predictive model accounted for 48-69 % variability in leaf rust severity. The model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.69) and RMSE, both demonstrated acceptable predictive results for leaf rust severity (%) management. Leaf rust severity (%) increased with an increase in maximum temperature (17.8-30 °C), maximum relative humidity (76.3-85 %), rainfall (2.2-10.85 mm) and wind speed 1.1-2.7 km/h and decreased with the increase of minimum temperature (7.91-16.71 °C) minimum relative humidity (47.15-56.45 %) during both rating seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The single and two applications of fungicides at the Zadok's scale 3, ZS 4.3, and ZS 5.4 stages led to a significant reduction in grain yield losses caused by leaf rust severity (%) in both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 crop seasons. Single and two sprays of prothioconazole, were found to be the first choice among all treatments to reduce the disease severity and increase grain production and maximum gross revenue (513.1-777.8$/ha), as compared to followed by single and two sprays of propiconazole (Progress), tebuconazole + trifloxystrobin, tebuconazole, bixafen + tebuconazole, and propiconazole (Tilt), respectively. These findings recommend the involvement of genotype resistance and weather predictors in wheat leaf rust development, along with fungicide application studies, to improve the predictability of host resistance to disease, future models, and the sustainability of disease control methods.

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon by graphitic carbonitride-nickel (g-C3N4-Ni) nanocomposite.

The objective of the present study is to synthesize g-C3N4-Ni nanocomposites composed of graphitic carbon nitride and magnetic nickel nanoparticles for benzopyrene degradation, which is one of the most potent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) molecules. The concocted g-C3N4-Ni nanocomposites contained confined nanospheres with a mean particle dimension of 22 nm. Batch adsorption studies revealed that a rise in adsorbent dosage elevates benzopyrene degradation percentage in both water and soil samples with respect to time. The increase in the benzopyrene concentration did not have much influence on the degradation efficiency, and hence, the minimal concentration of PAH molecule is essential for the effective adsorption by g-C3N4-Ni nanocomposites. The rise in pH tends to increase the degradation of Benzopyrene till 3 h of the incubation period, and beyond 3 h, the degradation percentage declines. With regard to the effect of light source, UV light has been shown to accelerate the degradation of benzopyrene by g-C3N4-Ni nanocomposites than sunlight. The adsorption kinetic and isotherm investigations have proven that the Pseudo-second order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model were appropriate for our study. Thus, the g-C3N4-Ni nanocomposites were found to be efficient as a photocatalyst for the adsorption of benzopyrene from environmental samples.

Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and inactivation of pathogens under visible light via SnO2/rGO composites.

The domains of environmental cleanup and pathogen inactivation are particularly interesting in nanocomposites (NCs) due to their exceptional physicochemical properties. Tin oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (SnO2/rGO NCs) have potential uses in the biological and environmental fields, but little is known about them. This study aimed to investigate the photocatalytic activity and antibacterial efficiency of the nanocomposites. The co-precipitation technique was used to prepare all the samples. XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, and XPS analyses were employed to characterize the physicochemical properties of SnO2/rGO NCs for structural analysis. The rGO loading sample resulted in a decrease in the crystallite size of SnO2 nanoparticles. TEM and SEM images demonstrate the firm adherence of SnO2 nanoparticles to the rGO sheets. The chemical state and elemental composition of the nanocomposites were validated by the XPS and EDS data. Additionally, the visible-light active photocatalytic and antibacterial capabilities of the synthesized nanocomposites were assessed for the degradation of Orange II and methylene blue, as well as the suppression of the growth of S. aureus and E. coli. As a result, the synthesized SnO2/rGO NCs are improved photocatalysts and antibacterial agents, expanding their potential in the fields of environmental remediation and water disinfection.

Development of silver oxide-loaded reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids for enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light in aqueous solutions.

We report on the synthesis of silver oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (Ag/rGO NCs) using a hydrothermal technique. This paper presents a simple method for synthesizing Ag/rGO hybrid nanocomposites, which can be used for environmentally treating hazardous organic pollutants. The photocatalytic degradation of model artificial Rhodamine B dye and bisphenol A was assessed under visible light illumination. The crystallinity, binding energy, and surface morphologies of the synthesized samples were determined. The silver oxide loading sample resulted in a decrease in the rGO crystallite size. SEM and TEM images demonstrate strong adhesion of the Ag NPs to the rGO sheets. XPS analysis validated the binding energy and elemental composition of the Ag/rGO hybrid nanocomposites. The objective of the experiment was to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of rGO in the visible region using Ag nanoparticles. The synthesized nanocomposites in the visible region exhibited good photodegradation percentages of approximately 97.5% and 98.6% after 120 min of irradiation for pure rGO, Ag NPs, and Ag/rGO nanohybrid, respectively. Furthermore, the Ag/rGO nanohybrid maintained their degradation ability for up to three cycles. The synthesized Ag/rGO nanohybrid demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity, expanding their potential for environmental remediation. Based on the investigations, Ag/rGO nanohybrid proved to be an effective photocatalyst and holds promise as an ideal material for future applications in preventing water pollution.

Enhanced production of camptothecin by immobilized callus of Ophiorrhiza mungos and a bioinformatic insight into its potential antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2.

Camptothetin (CPT) is a quinoline alkaloid originally isolated from the Chinese tree, Camptotheca acuminata Decne. CPT was found to have anticancerous and antiviral properties. Derivatives of natural CPT, including topothecan and irinotecan are used clinically to treat a variety of cancers. Apart from Camptotheca acuminata Decne, CPT production was also found in the perennial plant Ophiorrhiza mungos. In this study we attempted the immobilization of the tissue culture grown callus of Ophiorrhiza mungos for the continuous production of a higher concentration of CPT. As evident from previous studies about the antiviral effects of CPT, we wanted to bioinformatically analyze the binding potential of CPT towards two important proteins of SARS-CoV-2, protease (Mpro) and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Further docking analysis of the CPT against the exterior spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 was also done to determine their potential interaction. The immobilized callus of Ophiorrhiza mungos produced CPT at a concentration of 420 µg/l by the end of 12 days of growth. The HPLC analysis was done to determine the purity of the CPT synthesized by the immobilization technique. The bioinformatic analysis revealed a higher binding efficiency of CPT and its derivatives, toptecan and irinotecan against Mpro and RdRp. The docking analysis of CPT against the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 showed hydrogen bonding with the amino acids at K466 with a bond distance of 2.56A° and K355 with a bond distance of 2.40A°. This finding was of particular importance that other compounds including hydroxychloroquine sulphate, lopinavir and ivermectin could bind with the spike protein only by weak Vander wall bonds and no hydrogen bond formation was noticed. Our studies hence evaluate the efficiency of CPT against SARS-CoV-2, by potentially blocking the interaction of the spike glycoprotein with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor found on host cells.