The pleiotropic role of Salinicoccus bacteria in enhancing ROS homeostasis and detoxification metabolism in soybean and oat to cope with pollution of triclosan.

Triclosan has been extensively used as a preservative in cosmetics and personal care products. However, its accumulation represents a real environmental threat. Thus, its phytotoxic impact needs more consideration. Our study was conducted to highlight the phytotoxic effect of triclosan on the growth, ROS homeostasis, and detoxification metabolism of two different plant species i.e., legumes (Glycine max) and grass (Avena sativa). Moreover, we investigated the potentiality of plant growth-promoting bacteria (ST-PGPB) in mitigating the phytotoxic effect of triclosan. Triclosan induced biomass (fresh and dry weights) reduction in both plants, but to a higher extent in oats. This decline was associated with a noticeable increment in the oxidative damage (e.g., MDA and H2O2) and detoxification metabolites such as metallothionein (MTC), phytochelatins (PCs), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). This elevation was associated with a remarkable reduction in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. On the other hand, the bioactive strain of ST-PGPB, Salinicoccus sp. JzA1 significantly alleviated the harmful effect of triclosan on both soybean and oat plants by enhancing their biomass, photosynthesis, as well as levels of minerals (K, Ca, P, Mn, and Zn). In parallel, a striking quenching in oxidative damage and an obvious improvement in non-enzymatic (polyphenols, tocopherols, flavonoids) and enzymatic antioxidants were observed. Furthermore, Salinicoccus sp. JzA1 augmented the detoxification metabolism by enhancing the levels of phytochelatins, metallothionein, and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in a species-specific manner which is more apparent in soybean rather than in oat plants. To this end, stress mitigating impact of Salinicoccus sp. JzA1 provides a basis to improve the resilience of crop species under cosmetics and personal care products toxicity.

Elevated CO2 Can Improve the Tolerance of Avena sativa to Cope with Zirconium Pollution by Enhancing ROS Homeostasis.

Zirconium (Zr) is one of the toxic metals that are heavily incorporated into the ecosystem due to intensive human activities. Their accumulation in the ecosystem disrupts the food chain, causing undesired alterations. Despite Zr's phytotoxicity, its impact on plant growth and redox status remains unclear, particularly if combined with elevated CO2 (eCO2). Therefore, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that eCO2 can alleviate the phytotoxic impact of Zr upon oat (Avena sativa) plants by enhancing their growth and redox homeostasis. A complete randomized block experimental design (CRBD) was applied to test our hypothesis. Generally, contamination with Zr strikingly diminished the biomass and photosynthetic efficiency of oat plants. Accordingly, contamination with Zr triggered remarkable oxidative damage in oat plants, with concomitant alteration in the antioxidant defense system of oat plants. Contrarily, elevated levels of CO2 (eCO2) significantly mitigated the adverse effect of Zr upon both fresh and dry weights as well as the photosynthesis of oat plants. The improved photosynthesis consequently quenched the oxidative damage caused by Zr by reducing the levels of both H2O2 and MDA. Moreover, eCO2 augmented the total antioxidant capacity with the concomitant accumulation of molecular antioxidants (e.g., polyphenols, flavonoids). In addition, eCO2 not only improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) but also boosted the ASC/GSH metabolic pool that plays a pivotal role in regulating redox homeostasis in plant cells. In this regard, our research offers a novel perspective by delving into the previously unexplored realm of the alleviative effects of eCO2. It sheds light on how eCO2 distinctively mitigates oxidative stress induced by Zr, achieving this by orchestrating adjustments to the redox balance within oat plants.

Elevated CO2 reduced antimony toxicity in wheat plants by improving photosynthesis, soil microbial content, minerals, and redox status.

Introduction: Antimony (Sb), a common rare heavy metal, is naturally present in soils at low concentrations. However, it is increasingly used in industrial applications, which in turn, leads to an increased release into the environment, exerting a detrimental impact on plant growth. Thus, it is important to study Sb effects on plants under the current and future CO2 (eCO2). Methods: To this end, high Sb concentrations (1500 mg/kg soil) effects under ambient (420 ppm) and eCO2 (710 ppm) on wheat growth, physiology (photosynthesis reactions) and biochemistry (minerals contents, redox state), were studied and soil microbial were evaluated. Results and discussion: Our results showed that Sb uptake significantly decreased wheat growth by 42%. This reduction could be explained by the inhibition in photosynthesis rate, Rubisco activity, and photosynthetic pigments (Cha and Chb), by 35%, 44%, and 51%, respectively. Sb significantly reduced total bacterial and fungal count and increased phenolic and organic acids levels in the soil to decrease Sb uptake. Moreover, it induced oxidative markers, as indicated by the increased levels of H2O2 and MDA (1.96 and 2.8-fold compared to the control condition, respectively). To reduce this damage, antioxidant capacity (TAC), CAT, POX, and SOD enzymes activity were increased by 1.61, 2.2, 2.87, and 1.86-fold, respectively. In contrast, eCO2 mitigated growth inhibition in Sb-treated wheat. eCO2 and Sb coapplication mitigated the Sb harmful effect on growth by reducing Sb uptake and improving photosynthesis and Rubisco enzyme activity by 0.58, 1.57, and 1.4-fold compared to the corresponding Sb treatments, respectively. To reduce Sb uptake and improve mineral availability for plants, a high accumulation of phenolics level and organic acids in the soil was observed. eCO2 reduces Sb-induced oxidative damage by improving redox status. In conclusion, our study has provided valuable insights into the physiological and biochemical bases underlie the Sb-stress mitigating of eCO2 conditions. Furthermore, this is important step to define strategies to prevent its adverse effects of Sb on plants in the future.

Soil Contamination with Europium Induces Reduced Oxidative Damage in Hordeum vulgare Grown in a CO2-Enriched Environment.

The extensive and uncontrolled utilization of rare earth elements, like europium (Eu), could lead to their accumulation in soils and biota. Herein, we investigated the impact of Eu on the growth, photosynthesis, and redox homeostasis in barley and how that could be affected by the future CO2 climate (eCO2). The plants were exposed to 1.09 mmol Eu3+/kg soil under either ambient CO2 (420 ppm, aCO2) or eCO2 (620 ppm). The soil application of Eu induced its accumulation in the plant shoots and caused significant reductions in biomass- and photosynthesis-related parameters, i.e., chlorophyll content, photochemical efficiency of PSII, Rubisco activity, and photosynthesis rate. Further, Eu induced oxidative stress as indicated by higher levels of H2O2 and lipid peroxidation products, and lower ASC/DHA and GSH/GSSG ratios. Interestingly, the co-application of eCO2 significantly reduced the accumulation of Eu in plant tissues. Elevated CO2 reduced the Eu-induced oxidative damage by supporting the antioxidant defense mechanisms, i.e., ROS-scavenging molecules (carotenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols), enzymes (CAT and peroxidases), and ASC-GSH recycling enzymes (MDHAR and GR). Further, eCO2 improved the metal detoxification capacity by upregulating GST activity. Overall, these results provide the first comprehensive report for Eu-induced oxidative phytotoxicity and how this could be mitigated by eCO2.

How could actinobacteria augment the growth and redox homeostasis in barley plants grown in TiO2NPs-contaminated soils? A growth and biochemical study.

The increases in titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) released into the environment have raised concerns about their toxicity. However, their phytotoxic impact on plants is not well studied. Therefore, this study aimed at a deeper understanding of the TiO2-NPs phytotoxic impact on barley (Hordeum vulgare) growth and stress defense. We also hypothesized that soil inoculation with bioactive Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 strain can be applied as a biological fertilizer to alleviate TiO2-NPs phytotoxicity. At TiO2-NPs phytotoxicity level, photosynthesis was significantly retarded (∼50% reduction) in TiO2-NPs treated-barley plants which accordingly affect the biomass of barley plants. This retardation was accompanied by a remarkable induction of oxidative damage (H2O2, lipid peroxidation) with a concomitant reduction in the antioxidant defense metabolism. At a glance, Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 ameliorated the reduction in growth by enhancing the photosynthetic efficiency in contaminated barley plants. Moreover, Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 inoculation reduced the oxidative damage induced by TiO2-NPs via quenching H2O2 production and lipid peroxidation. Regarding the antioxidant defense arsenal, Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 enhanced both enzymatic (e.g. peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), …. etc.) and non-enzymatic (glutathione (GSH), ascorbate (ASC), polyphenols, flavonoids, tocopherols) antioxidants in shoots and to a greater extent roots of barley plants. Moreover, the inoculation significantly enhanced the heavy metal-detoxifying metabolites (eg. phytochelatins, glutaredoxin, thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin) as well as metal-detoxifying enzymes in barley shoots and more apparently in roots of TiO2-NPs stressed plants. Furthermore, there was an organ-specific response to TiO2-NPs and Rhodospirillum sp. JY3. To this end, this study shed light, for the first time, on the molecular bases underlie TiO2-NPs stress mitigating impact of Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 and it introduced Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 as a promising eco-friendly tool in managing environmental risks to maintain agricultural sustainability.

Alleviation of gadolinium stress on Medicago by elevated atmospheric CO2 is mediated by changes in carbohydrates, Anthocyanin, and proline metabolism.

Rare earth elements (REE) like Gadolinium (Gd), are increasingly used in industry and agriculture and this is concomitant with the increasingly leaking of Gd into the environment. Under a certain threshold concentration, REE can promote plant growth, however, beyond this concentration, they exert negative effects on plant growth. Moreover, the effect of Gd on plants growth and metabolism under a futuristic climate with increasingly atmospheric CO2 has not yet been studied. To this end, we investigated the effect of soil contamination with Gd (150 mg/kg soil) on the growth, carbohydrates, proline, and anthocyanin metabolism of Medicago plants grown under ambient (aCO2, 410 ppm) or elevated CO2 (eCO2, 720 ppm) concentration. Gd negatively affected the growth and photosynthesis of plants and imposed oxidative stress i.e., increased H2O2 and lipid peroxidation (MDA) level. As defense lines, the level and metabolism of osmoprotectants (soluble sugars and proline) and antioxidants (phenolics, anthocyanins, and tocopherols) were increased under Gd treatment. High CO2 positively affected the growth and metabolism of Medicago plants. Moreover, eCO2 mitigated the negative impacts of Gd on Medicago growth. It further induced the levels of osmoprotectants and antioxidants. In line with increased proline and anthocyanins, their metabolic enzymes (e.g. OAT, P5CS, PAL, and CS) were also increased. This study advances our understanding of how Gd adversely affects Medicago plant growth and metabolism. It also sheds light on the biochemical mechanisms underlying the Gd stress-reducing impact of eCO2.

Self-propelled nanojets an interfacial Schottky junctions modulated oxygen vacancies enriched for enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of organic contaminant: Improving H2O2 generation, Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle and enhancing plant metabolism.

The study reports an innovative approach on sunlit driven heterostructure photocatalytic generation of H2O2 and removal of cefixime. In the present work, we have fabricated Mn/Mg doped CoFe2O4 modified CaCr2O4 decorated by Ag3PO4 quantum dots (Ag3PO4 QDs), a p-n-p nano heterojunction. The study promotes the photocatalytic production of H2O2 and self-Fenton photocatalytic degradation of cefixime. Egg white-assisted synthesis of Mn-doped CoFe2O4 causes the lattice oxygen defect, which enhances the photocatalytic activity. Lattice oxygen defect enable the adsorption of O2, which enable the conversion of •O2 in the valence band of CoFe2O4 for the endogenous production of H2O2. The higher in the surface area enhance the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. Mn-CoFe2O4-CaCr2O4-Ag3PO4 QDs enables the complete photocatalytic degradation of cefixime (99.9%) and the complete removal was determined by total organic carbon (TOC) removal and it was around 99.4%. Meanwhile the photocatalytic degradation pathway of cefixime was determined by LC-MS/MS. Reusability of the nano heterojunction was determined by six cycle test, and the reusability of the nano heterojunction was 99.8%. Further, the toxicity of the nanomaterial was studied in maize plant and the results shows that the nanoheterojunction enhances the maize growth. The study systematically reveals the robust activity of nano heterojunction for sustainable water treatment.

Sunlight promoted self-fenton photodegradation and pathway of doxycycline: Interactive effects of nanomaterial on bean plant and its genotoxicity against Allium cepa.

Photocatalytic induction of electron/hole recombination, surface property and light response ability effectively enhance the photocatalytic activity of nanomaterial. In this work, the effective charge carrier separating Sn/Mn-ZnFe2O4-CdFe2O4-Ag3PO4 Quantum dots (M/SZFO-CFO-AP QDs) was fabricated for photocatalytic degradation of doxycycline (doxy) antibiotic. The result showed enhanced photocatalytic activity of doxy and the degradation efficiency of doxy was about 98.8% in short span of time. The calculated WH plot and urbach energy of prepared photocatalyst exhibited evidence for the prevalence of point defects and its contribution to efficient charge separation and transferability. The total organic carbon (TOC) removal was found to be 98.9%, which depicts the complete mineralization of doxy. The synergetic charge transfer of n-p-n heterojunction enables the effective removal of doxy under visible light irradiation. Further, the genotoxicity study was determined by interacting the SZFO-CFO-AP QDs with Allium Cepa. The results depict that SZFO-CFO-AP QDs show lower toxicity level and there were no trace of defective mitotic phases and micro nuclei. Further, the progression and development of bean plant was determined after treating with prepared nanomaterials and the result showed the enhanced growth in SZFO-CFO-AP QDs treated bean plant compared to the counterparts. Therefore, the prepared SZFO-CFO-AP QDs was can be used as an environmental friendly photocatalyst for effective treatment of antibiotic present in the water bodies.

Rhodospirillum sp. JY3: An innovative tool to mitigate the phytotoxic impact of galaxolide on wheat (Triticum aestivum) and faba bean (Vicia faba) plants.

To date, several studies have considered the phytotoxic impact of cosmetics and personal care products on crop plants. Nonetheless, data are scarce about the toxic impact of galaxolide [hexahydro-hexamethyl cyclopentabenzopyran (HHCB)] on the growth, physiology, and biochemistry of plants from different functional groups. To this end, the impact of HHCB on biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, antioxidant production, and detoxification metabolism of grass (wheat) and legume (faba bean) plants has been investigated. On the other hand, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can be effectively applied to reduce HHCB phytotoxicity. HHCB significantly reduced the biomass accumulation and the photosynthetic machinery of both crops, but to more extent for wheat. This growth reduction was concomitant with induced oxidative damage and decreased antioxidant defense system. To mitigate HHCB toxicity, a bioactive strain of diazotrophic plant growth-promoting Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 was isolated from heavy metal-contaminated soil in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and applied to both crops. Overall, Rhodospirillum mitigated HHCB-induced stress by differently modulating the oxidative burst [malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and protein oxidation] in both wheat and faba beans. This alleviation was coincident with improvement in plant biomass and photosynthetic efficiency, particularly in wheat crops. Considering the antioxidant defense system, JY3 augmented the antioxidants in both wheat and faba beans and the detoxification metabolism under HHCB stress conditions. More interestingly, inoculation with JY3 further enhanced the tolerance level of both wheat and faba beans against contamination with HHCB via quenching the lignin metabolism. Overall, this study advanced our understanding of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying HHCB stress and mitigating its impact using Rhodospirillum sp. JY3, which may strikingly reduce the environmental risks on agriculture sustainability.

Elevated CO2 differentially mitigates chromium (VI) toxicity in two rice cultivars by modulating mineral homeostasis and improving redox status.

Chromium (Cr) contamination reduces crop productivity worldwide. On the other hand, the expected increase in the future CO2 levels (eCO2) would improve plant growth under diverse growth conditions. However, the synergetic effect of eCO2 has not been investigated at both physiological and biochemical levels in Cr-contaminated soil. This study aims to analyze the mitigating effect of eCO2 on Cr VI phytotoxicity in two rice cultivars (Giza 181 and Sakha 106). Plants are exposed to different Cr concentrations (0, 200 and 400 mg Cr/kg Soil) at ambient (aCO2) and eCO2 (410 and 620 ppm, respectively). Unlike the stress parameters (MDA, H2O2 and protein oxidation), growth and photosynthetic reactions significantly dropped with increasing Cr concentration. However, in eCO2 conditions, plants were able to mitigate the Cr stress by inducing antioxidants as well as higher concentrations of phytochelatins to detoxify Cr. Notably, the expression levels of the genes involved in mineral nutrition i.e., OsNRAMP1, OsRT1, OsHMA3, OsLCT1 and iron chelate reductase were upregulated in Cr-stressed Giza 181 plants grown under eCO2. Mainly in Sakha 106, eCO2 induced ascorbate-glutathione (ASC/GSH)-mediated antioxidative defense system. The present study brings the first ever comprehensive assessment of how future eCO2 differentially mitigated Cr toxicity in rice.

CO2 Enrichment Differentially Upregulated Sugar, Proline, and Polyamine Metabolism in Young and Old Leaves of Wheat and Sorghum to Mitigate Indium Oxide Nanoparticles Toxicity.

Soil contamination with indium oxide nanoparticles (In2O3-NPs) is a challenge for plant growth and productivity. Despite In2O3-NPs toxicity, their effects on plant growth and metabolism are largely unknown, particularly under future climate CO2 (eCO2). Therefore, the In2O3-NPs toxicity and stress mitigating impact of eCO2 in the young and old leaves of C3 (wheat) and C4 (sorghum) plants were investigated. Overall, In2O3-NPs significantly retard the biomass and photosynthetic machinery of all tested crops, particularly the young leaves of C3 plants. Consequently, In2O3-NPs altered C and N metabolism in C3 and C4 plants. On the other hand, eCO2 contrarily alleviated the hazardous effects of In2O3-NPs on growth and photosynthesis, especially in the young leaves of C4 plants. Increased photosynthesis consequently enhanced the soluble sugars' accumulation and metabolism (e.g., sucrose P synthase, cytosolic, and vacuolar invertase) in all stressed plants, but to a greater extent in C4 young leaves. High sugar availability also induced TCA organic and fatty acids' accumulation. This also provided a route for amino acids and polyamines biosynthesis, where a clear increase in proline biosynthetic enzymes [e.g., pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDH), and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH)] and polyamine metabolic enzymes (e.g., spermine and spermidine synthases, ornithine decarboxylase, and adenosyl methionine decarboxylase) were mainly recorded in C4 young leaves. The observed increases in these metabolites involved in osmo- and redox-regulation to reduce In2O3-NPs induced oxidative damage. Overall, our study, for the first time, shed light on how eCO2 differentially mitigated In2O3-NPs stress in old and young leaves of different species groups under the threat of In2O3-NPs contamination.

Variation of the Chemical Composition of Essential Oils and Total Phenols Content in Natural Populations of Marrubium vulgare L.

Marrubium vulgare is a valuable source of natural bioactive molecules with high preventive and therapeutic effectiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to study the chemical polymorphism of natural populations of M. vulgare in Tunisia by quantitative chemical markers and the estimation of divergence between populations. Phytochemical analyses of the eight natural populations of Tunisian Marrubium vulgare prospected in different bioclimatic stages, revealed 42 compounds of essential oils representing 96.08% to 100% of the total oil. Hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes were the main fraction of all the populations studied and ß-bisabolene was the major compound (from 30.11% to 71.35% of the total oil). The phytochemical investigation of the M. vulgare plant indicated the presence of essential oil with significant percentages of phenolic compounds. A significant quantitative and qualitative variation in the essential oils is detected for both major and minor compounds. The principal components analysis (PCA) performed in the single and combined traits provides a good distinction among populations, not according to their geographical and/or bioclimatic origins. Moreover, the phytochemical analysis of the leaves showed that the Tunisian populations, i.e., the populations of Kasserine, Kef, and Beja, were very rich in phenolic compounds (from 20.8 to 44.65 mg GAE/g DW). Flavonoids compounds were also the main class of total polyphenols present in all the tested populations (from 8.91 to 37.48 mg RE/g DW). The quantitative genetic diversity estimated by the population's structure, based on PCA analysis, was an adaptation to the changes in the environmental conditions. Overall, our study indicated that natural populations of M. vulgare had different chemotypes of essential oils and they were rich in phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids, which opens a new prospect for industrial use and differential exploitation of this species.

Elevated CO2 Differentially Mitigated Oxidative Stress Induced by Indium Oxide Nanoparticles in Young and Old Leaves of C3 and C4 Crops.

Soil contamination with indium (In) oxide nanoparticles (In2O3-NPs) threatens plant growth and development. However, their toxicity in plants under ambient (aCO2) and elevated (eCO2) conditions is scarcely studied. To this end, this study was conducted to investigate In2O3-NPs toxicity in the young and old leaves of C3 (barley) and C4 (maize) plants and to understand the mechanisms underlying the stress mitigating impact of eCO2. Treatment of C3 and C4 plants with In2O3-NPs significantly reduced growth and photosynthesis, induced oxidative damage (H2O2, lipid peroxidation), and impaired P and Fe homeostasis, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. On the other hand, this phytotoxic hazard was mitigated by eCO2 which improved both C3 and C4 growth, decreased In accumulation and increased phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) uptake, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. Moreover, the improved photosynthesis by eCO2 accordingly enhanced carbon availability under the challenge of In2O3-NPs that were directed to the elevated production of metabolites involved in antioxidant and detoxification systems. Our physiological and biochemical analyses implicated the role of the antioxidant defenses, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) in stress mitigation under eCO2. This was validated by studying the effect of In2O3-stress on a transgenic maize line (TG) constitutively overexpressing the AtFeSOD gene and its wild type (WT). Although it did not alter In accumulation, the TG plants showed improved growth and photosynthesis and reduced oxidative damage. Overall, this work demonstrated that C3 was more sensitive to In2O3-NPs stress; however, C4 plants were more responsive to eCO2. Moreover, it demonstrated the role of SOD in determining the hazardous effect of In2O3-NPs.

Potential use of a novel actinobacterial species to ameliorate tungsten nanoparticles induced oxidative damage in cereal crops.

Tungsten nanoparticles (WNPs) could induce hazard impact on plant growth and development; however, no study investigated their phytotoxicity. On the other hand, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can effectively reduce WNPs toxicity. To this end, Nocardiopsis sp. was isolated and employed to mitigate the phytotoxic effect of WNPs on three crops (wheat, barley, and oat). Soil contamination with WPNs induced the W accumulation in all tested crops, inhibited both growth and photosynthesis and induced oxidative damage. On the other hand, pre-inoculation with Nocardiopsis sp. significantly reduced W level in treated plants. Concomitantly, Nocardiopsis sp. strikingly mitigated the inhibitory effect of WNPs by augmenting both growth and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. To cope with heavy metal stress, all the tested species orchestrated their antioxidant homeostasis through enhancing the production of antioxidant metabolites (e.g., phenolics, flavonoids and tocopherols) and elevated the activities of ROS-scavenging enzymes (e.g., APX, POX, CAT, as well as the enzymes involved in AsA/GSH cycle). Moreover, pre-inoculation with Nocardiopsis sp. improved the detoxification metabolism by enhancing the accumulation of phytochelatins (PCs), metallothionein (MTC) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in grasses grown in WNPs-contaminated soils. Overall, restrained ROS homeostasis and improved WNPs detoxification systems were the bases underlie the WNPs stress mitigating impact of Nocardiopsis sp treatment.

Effect of foliar application of nano-nutrients solution on growth and biochemical attributes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) under drought stress.

Introduction: Drought stress has drastically hampered the growth and yield of many crops. Therefore, environmentally safe agricultural techniques are needed to mitigate drought stress impact. To this end, foliar spray of nano-nutrients solution to (NNS) alleviate harmful aspects of drought stress. Methods: In a completely randomized design (CRD) experiment, seedlings were transplanted into pots at 2-3 leaf stage, each filled with loam-compost- organic manure soil (3:1:1). Plants were divided into two groups. (a) control group (b) applied stress group. Plants at vegetative stage were treated with 100% FC for control group and 60% FC for drought group, and these levels were maintained until harvesting. Three treatments of NNS with four levels i.e., 0%, 1%, 3% and 5% were given to all the pots after two weeks of drought stress treatment with a gap of 5 days at vegetative stage. Results and discussion: Application of 1% of nano-nutrient solution displayed an improvement in shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weight, number of leaves and flowers. Leaf chlorophylls and carotenoids and total phenolics contents were found maximum while minimum electrolyte leakage was observed at 3% application compared to control. Further, 1% application of NNS increased the Leaf RWC%, total soluble sugars, flavonoids contents. 5% NNS application exhibited higher total free amino acids with minimum lipid peroxidation rate in leaves of tomato under drought. Antioxidant enzyme activities increased in a concentration dependent manner as gradual increase was observed at 1%, 3% and 5%, respectively. Overall, this study introduced a new insights on using nano-nutrient solutions to maintain natural resources and ensure agricultural sustainability.

Improved Mineral Acquisition, Sugars Metabolism and Redox Status after Mycorrhizal Inoculation Are the Basis for Tolerance to Vanadium Stress in C3 and C4 Grasses.

Vanadium (V) can be beneficial or toxic to plant growth and the interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and V stress was rarely investigated at physiological and biochemical levels of plant groups (C3 and C4) and organs (roots and shoots). We tested the potential of AMF to alleviate the negative effects of V (350 mg V/Kg soil) on shoots and roots of rye and sorghum. Relative to sorghum (C4), rye (C3) showed higher levels of V and lower levels of key elements under V stress conditions. V inhibited growth, photosynthesis, and induced photorespiration (increased HDR & GO activities) and oxidative damage in both plants. AMF colonization reduced V stress by differently mitigating the oxidative stress in rye and sorghum. This mitigation was accompanied with increases in acid and alkaline phosphatase activities in plant roots and increased organic acids and polyphenols exudation into the soil, thus reduced V accumulation (29% and 58% in rye and sorghum shoot, respectively) and improved absorption of mineral nutrients including Ca, Mg and P. AMF colonization improved photosynthesis and increased the sugar accumulation and metabolism. Sugars also acted as a supplier of C skeletons for producing of antioxidants metabolite such as ascorbate. At the antioxidant level, rye was more responsive to the mitigating impact of AMF. Higher antioxidants and detoxification defence system (MTC, GST, phenolics, tocopherols and activities of CAT, SOD and POX) was recorded for rye, while sorghum (C4) improved its GR activity. The C3/C4-specificity was supported by principal component analysis. Together, this study provided both fundamental and applied insights into practical strategies to mitigate the phytotoxicity hazards of V in C3 and C4 grasses. Moreover, our results emphasize the importance of AMF as an environment-friendly factor to alleviate stress effects on plants and to improve growth and yield of unstressed plants.

Soil enrichment with actinomycete mitigates the toxicity of arsenic oxide nanoparticles on wheat and maize growth and metabolism.

The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to enhance plant growth and protection against heavy metal toxicity has been extensively studied. However, its potentiality to reduce arsenate toxicity, a threat to plant growth and metabolism, has been hardly investigated. Moreover, the toxic effect of arsenic oxide nanoparticles (As-NPs) on plants and possible mechanisms for its alleviation has not yet been explored. In this study, the impact of the bioactive actinomycete Streptomyces spp. on the growth, physiology and stress-related metabolites, such as sugars and proline, on As-NPs-stressed wheat and maize plants was investigated. Soil amendment with arsenic oxide nanoparticles (As-NPs) induced the uptake and accumulation of As in the plants of both species, resulting in reduced growth and photosynthesis, but less marked in maize than in wheat plants. Under As-NPs-free conditions, Streptomyces spp. treatment markedly improved growth and photosynthesis in wheat only. The application of Streptomyces spp. reduced As accumulation, recovered the As-NPs-induced growth, photosynthesis inhibition, and oxidative damage in plants of both species. Wheat plants specifically accumulated soluble sugars, while both species accumulated proline. Under As-NPs stress, the ornithine pathway of proline biosynthesis was more important in maize than in wheat plants, while the glutamine pathway was dominant in wheat ones. The addition of Streptomyces spp. further induced the accumulation of proline and starch in both plant species. Overall, despite a different response to Streptomyces spp. under nontoxic conditions, the amendment of as-contaminated soil with Streptomyces spp. induced similar metabolic responses in the two tested species, which trigger stress recovery.

Future climate CO2 can harness ROS homeostasis and improve cell wall fortification to alleviate the hazardous effect of Phelipanche infection in pea seedlings.

Parasitic weeds such as Phelipanche aegyptiaca pose one of the most significant environmental constraints to cropping systems worldwide. The influence of P. aegyptiaca upon host plants is well studied, nevertheless, how future climate CO2 (eCO2) can affect P. aegyptiaca parasite-host interactions is not yet investigated. Considering the protective effect of eCO2, we studied its ability to mitigate the severity of P. aegyptiaca infection in pea plants (Pisum sativum). Our results revealed that Phelipanche infection strikingly reduced pea growth and photosynthesis. Moreover, infection with Phelipanche greatly burst the oxidative damage in pea plants by elevating photorespiration and NADPH oxidase activity. Contradictory, eCO2 extremely quenched the severity of P. aegyptiaca infection by diminishing the number and biomass of P. aegyptiaca tubercles. Additionally, eCO2 considerably mitigated the physiological and biochemical alterations exerted by Phelipanche upon pea seedlings. Within the physiological range, eCO2 augmented photosynthesis, that consequentially affected carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, eCO2 highly mitigated the infection menace via quenching ROS overaccumulation which, sequentially reduced oxidative damage in infected pea plants. More interestingly, eCO2 improved cell wall fortification by enhancing lignin accumulation that considers the first line of defense against parasite penetration. Overall, this study concluded that pea plants grown in an atmosphere enriched with CO2 can efficiently cope with P. aegyptiaca infection via reducing Phelipanche tubercles, modulating ROS homeostasis, and enhancing cell wall fortification.

Actinomycetes Enrich Soil Rhizosphere and Improve Seed Quality as well as Productivity of Legumes by Boosting Nitrogen Availability and Metabolism.

The use of actinomycetes for improving soil fertility and plant production is an attractive strategy for developing sustainable agricultural systems due to their effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and low production cost. Out of 17 species isolated from the soil rhizosphere of legume crops, 4 bioactive isolates were selected and their impact on 5 legumes: soybean, kidney bean, chickpea, lentil, and pea were evaluated. According to the morphological and molecular identification, these isolates belong to the genus Streptomyces. Here, we showed that these isolates increased soil nutrients and organic matter content and improved soil microbial populations. At the plant level, soil enrichment with actinomycetes increased photosynthetic reactions and eventually increased legume yield. Actinomycetes also increased nitrogen availability in soil and legume tissue and seeds, which induced the activity of key nitrogen metabolizing enzymes, e.g., glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase, and nitrate reductase. In addition to increased nitrogen-containing amino acids levels, we also report high sugar, organic acids, and fatty acids as well as antioxidant phenolics, mineral, and vitamins levels in actinomycete treated legume seeds, which in turn improved their seed quality. Overall, this study shed the light on the impact of actinomycetes on enhancing the quality and productivity of legume crops by boosting the bioactive primary and secondary metabolites. Moreover, our findings emphasize the positive role of actinomycetes in improving the soil by enriching its microbial population. Therefore, our data reinforce the usage of actinomycetes as biofertilizers to provide sustainable food production and achieve biosafety.

Hormonal seed-priming improves tomato resistance against broomrape infection.

Although it is well known that parasitic weeds such as Orobanche (broomrape) significantly reduce the yield of economically important crops, their infection-induced oxidative changes need more exploration in their host plants. Moreover, applying an eco-friendly approach to minimize the infection is not yet available. This study was conducted to understand the effect of Orobanche ramosa infection on oxidative and redox status of tomato plants and the impact of hormonal (indole acetic acid (IAA); 0.09 mM and salicylic acid (SA); 1.0 mM) seed-priming upon mitigating the infection threats. Although Orobanche invades tomato roots, its inhibitory effects on shoot biomass were also indicted. Orobanche infection usually induces oxidative damage i.e., high lipid peroxidation, lipoxygenase activity and H2O2 levels, particularly for roots. Interestingly, hormonal seed-priming significantly enhanced tomato shoots and roots growth under both healthy and infected conditions. Also, IAA and SA treatment significantly reduced Orobanche infection-induced oxidative damage. The protective effect of seed-priming was explained by increasing the antioxidant defense markers including the antioxidant metabolites (i.e., total antioxidant capacity, carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, ASC, GSH, tocopherols) and enzymes (CAT, POX, GPX, SOD, GR, APX, MDHAR, DHAR), particularly in infected tomato seedlings. Additionally, cluster analysis indicated the differential impact of IAA- and SA-seed-priming, whereas lower oxidative damage and higher antioxidant enzymes' activities in tomato root were particularly reported for IAA treatment. The principal component analysis (PCA) also proclaimed an organ specificity depending on their response to Orobanche infection. Collectively, here and for the first time, we shed the light on the potential of seed-priming with either IAA or SA to mitigate the adverse effect of O. ramosa stress in tomato plants, especially at oxidative stress levels.