Effects of Saline-Alkaline Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

In order to study the adaptation ability of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in the Yellow River Delta, the sweet sorghum variety Mart was used in this study to determine the roles of different saline-alkaline ratio stress treatment during seed germination to seedling stage. The results showed that Na⁺ concentration had a significant impact on the seed germination, seedling growth, and plant survival of sweet sorghum. Increasing Na⁺ concentration led to a decline in germination rate, final germination percentage, survival percentage, plant height, and dry weight per plant, a prolonged mean time of germination, as well as loss of improvement effect of low-Na+ concentration. The interaction effect of Na⁺ concentration and pH on the mean time of germination and germination rate was not significant (p?+ concentration (100 mM), high pH reduced the mean time of germination and increased the germination rate, without decline in final germination percentage and survival percentage. Therefore, at least in the duration of seed germination to the harvest period in the research, the sweet sorghum was resistant to the pH stress (≥9.04) when the Na⁺ concentration was below 100 mM. When suffered from the saline-alkaline stress, the seedling of sweet sorghum was characterized by ecological adaptive features, such as decreased stem ratio and chlorophyll b content in leaves and increased root ratio and chlorophyll a content, in order to maintain the uptakes of water and nutrient, and carbon assimilation. When the stress intensified, the lipid oxidation products, e.g., malondialdehyde (MDA), increased in sweet sorghum seedlings. However, the increasing of soluble protein content and antioxidant enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), and gatalase (CAT)) was only founded in neutral low-Na⁺ concentration treatment (A₁), which indicated that high-salt concentration and pH all elicited harmful effects and limited the self-healing ability of sweet sorghum seedlings. In all, in order to grow sweet sorghum in the saline-alkaline soils of the Yellow River Delta, the salt concentration and pH value of the soil must be taken into consideration, and seeding density should be increased and supported by appropriate irrigation measures to reduce saline-alkaline stress so as to ensure the survival and growth of sweet sorghum seedlings.     

Silver Nanoparticle-Mediated Enhancement in Growth and Antioxidant Status of Brassica juncea

Metal nanoparticles can potentially be used as tools for engineering biological redox reactions. Present study underlines the effect of silver metal nanoparticles (at 0, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400?ppm) on the growth and antioxidant status of 7-day-old Brassica juncea seedlings. Fresh weight, root and shoot length, and vigor index of seedlings is positively affected by silver nanoparticle treatment. It induced a 326?% increase in root length and 133?% increase in vigor index of the treated seedlings. Improved photosynthetic quantum efficiency and higher chlorophyll contents were recorded in leaves of treated seedlings, as compared to the control seedlings. Levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide decreased in the treated seedlings. Nanoparticle treatment induced the activities of specific antioxidant enzymes, resulting in reduced reactive oxygen species levels. Decrease in proline content confirmed the improvement in antioxidant status of the treated seedlings. The observed stimulatory affects of silver nanoparticles are found to be dose dependent, with 50?ppm treatment being optimum for eliciting growth response. Present findings, for the first time indicate that silver nanoparticles promote the growth of B. juncea seedlings by modulating their antioxidant status.     

Suitable dose of 60Co γ-ray for mutation in Roegneria seeds

Seeds from six accessions of three species of Roegneria were radiated with ⁶⁰Co γ-ray at different doses (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 400 Gy). Following these treatments, germination energy, germination rate, seedling height, plant height, plant survival, and seed set were observed. Plant survival was highly correlated with seedling height (R ² > 0.91, P < 0.01) and seed set (R ² > 0.82, P < 0.01). The semi-lethal dose of each accession, calculated using a ‘Multi-target single-hit’ model, ranged from 60 to 173 Gy. The most suitable absorbed doses for each accession were deduced from these data. The suitable doses for Roegneria kamoji, Roegneria ciliaris and Roegneria japonensis were 65–100 Gy, 63–150 Gy and 80–170 Gy, respectively. According to the range of suitable doses, R. kamoji (Pr87-88-353) was the most sensitive to radiation, and R. japonensis (88-89-267) was the most resistant to radiation. Suitable doses of R. ciliaris were close to that of R. kamoji (ZY1007). This research provides preliminary guidelines for radiation induced mutagenesis in Roegneria.     

Phytotoxicity of Schiekia timida Seed Extracts,a Mixture of Phenylphenalenones

Phenylphenalenones, metabolites found in Schiekia timida (Haemodoraceae), are a class of specialized metabolites with many biological activities, being phytoalexins in banana plants. In the constant search to solve the problem of glyphosate and to avoid resistance to commercial herbicides, this work aimed to investigate the phytotoxic effect of the methanolic extract of S. timida seeds. The chemical composition of the seed extract was directly investigated by NMR and UPLC-QToF MS and the pre- and post-emergence phytotoxic effect on a eudicotyledonous model (Lactuca sativa) and a monocotyledonous model (Allium cepa) was evaluated through germination and seedling growth tests. Three concentrations of the extract (0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mg/mL) were prepared, and four replicates for each of them were analyzed. Three major phenylphenalenones were identified by NMR spectroscopy: 4-hydroxy-anigorufone, methoxyanigorufone, and anigorufone, two of those reported for the first time in S. timida. The presence of seven other phenylphenalenones was suggested by the LC-MS analyses. The phenylphenalenone mixture did not affect the germination rate, but impaired radicle and hypocotyl growth on both models. The effect in the monocotyledonous model was statistically similar to glyphosate in the lowest concentration (0.25 mg/mL). Therefore, although more research on this topic is required to probe this first report, this investigation suggests for the first time that phenylphenalenone compounds may be post-emergence herbicides.     

Prospective Applications of Low Frequency Glow Discharge Plasmas on Enhanced Germination,Growth and Yield of Wheat

Medium pressure (~ 10 torr) low frequency (3–5 kHz) glow discharge (LFGD) plasmas were applied to treat wheat (Triticum aestivum) seeds to investigate the effects on water absorption, seed germination rate, seedling growth and yield. The LFGD plasmas were produced with air and air/O ₂. Optical emission spectroscopic diagnostic methods were revealed that the \({\text{N}}_{2} \left( {{\text{C}}^{3}\Pi _{\text{u}} - {\text{B}}^{3}\Pi _{\text{g}} } \right)\), \({\text{N}}_{2}^{ + } \left( {{\text{B}}^{2}\Sigma _{\text{u}}^{ + } - {\text{X}}^{2}\Sigma _{\text{g}}^{ + } } \right)\) and \({\text{N}}_{2} \left( {{\text{B}}^{3}\Pi _{\text{g}} - {\text{A}}^{3}\Sigma _{\text{u}}^{ + } } \right)\) produced with air, and O species were produced along with nitrogen species with air/O ₂ plasmas, respectively. The SEM images were revealed that the surface architectures and functionalities of the seeds were modified due to plasma treatments. Water absorption was found to increase with treatment time. 6 min treatment was provided 95–100% seed germination. The plants grown from treated seeds for 3 and 9 min duration by air/O ₂ plasma were showed the highest growth activity and dry matter accumulation. Total chlorophyll contents of the leaves, longest spikes and number of spikes/spikelet were also increased. The wheat yield was increased ~ 20% over control by 6 min treatment with air/O ₂ plasma. Overall results revealed that LFGD plasmas can significantly change seed surface architecture, water absorption, germination rate, seedling growth and yield of wheat.     

Enhancement of Germination and Seedling Growth of Wheat Seed Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma with Various Gas Sources

The influences of non-thermal discharge plasma treatment on wheat seed germination and seedling growth were investigated using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma system at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. DBD plasma with various gas sources (oxygen, air, argon, and nitrogen) was employed in this study. Germination characteristics, seedling growth parameters, surface changes of the seed coat, permeability, and soluble protein of the seedlings were measured after the DBD plasma treatments. The experimental results showed that moderate-intensity DBD plasma had active impacts on wheat seed germination and seedling growth. Germination potential significantly increased by 24.0, 28.0, and 35.5% after 4 min of the air plasma, nitrogen plasma, and argon plasma treatments, respectively, compared with the control; and the shoot and root length also increased; however, no enhancement was observed after the oxygen plasma treatment. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that etching effects on the seed coat occurred after the air plasma, nitrogen plasma, and argon plasma treatments, which affected the hygroscopicity and permeability of the wheat seed. In addition, moderate-intensity DBD plasma could also activate several physiological reactions in wheat seed, resulting in the increase of soluble protein production in wheat seedlings.     

Air Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Induced Germination and Growth Enhancement of Wheat Seed

Air atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBD) was attempted to pretreat wheat seed to improve its germination and growth in this study. The effects of the DBD plasma treatment on the wheat seed germination, seedling growth, osmotic-adjustment products, lipid peroxidation level, and antioxidant enzymes activity were investigated. The experimental results showed that the DBD plasma treatment with an appropriate time scale could promote the wheat seed germination and seedling growth. The germination potential, germination rate, germination index, and vigor index increased by 26.7, 9.1, 16.9, and 46.9% after 7 min’s DBD plasma treatment, respectively; the root length, shoot length, fresh weight, and dry weight of the seedlings also increased after the DBD plasma treatment. The osmotic-adjustment products, proline and soluble sugar contents, in the wheat seedlings were significantly enhanced after the DBD plasma treatment with an appropriate time scale, while the malondialdehyde content decreased. Moreover, the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase also increased after the DBD plasma treatment. The DBD plasma treatment led to etching effect on the wheat seed coat, resulting in the improvement of its water absorption capacity.     

Green Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles from Berberis balochistanica Stem for Investigating Bioactivities

Green synthesis of nanomaterials is advancing due to its ease of synthesis, inexpensiveness, nontoxicity and renewability. In the present study, an eco-friendly biogenic method was developed for the green synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) using phytochemically rich Berberis balochistanica stem (BBS) extract. The BBS extract was rich in phenolics, flavonoids and berberine. These phytochemicals successfully reduced and stabilised the NiNO₃ (green) into NiONPs (greenish-gray). BBS-NiONPs were confirmed by using UV-visible spectroscopy (peak at 305 nm), X-ray diffraction (size of 31.44 nm), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (identified -OH group and Ni-O formation), energy dispersive spectroscopy (showed specified elemental nature) and scanning electron microscopy (showed rhombohedral agglomerated shape). BBS-NiONPs were exposed to multiple in vitro bioactivities to ascertain their beneficial biological applications. They exhibited strong antioxidant activities: total antioxidant capacity (64.77%) and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (71.48%); and cytotoxic potential: Brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay with IC₅₀ (10.40 µg/mL). BBS-NiONPs restricted the bacterial and fungal pathogenic growths at 1000, 500 and 100 µg/mL. Additionally, BBS-NiONPs showed stimulatory efficacy by enhancing seed germination rate and seedling growth at 31.25 and 62.5 µg/mL. In aggregate, BBS extract has a potent antioxidant activity which makes the green biosynthesis of NiONPs easy, economical and safe. The biochemical potential of BBS-NiONPs can be useful in various biomedical and agricultural fields.     

Polyethylene Glycol Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles Loaded with Nigella sativa Extract: A Smart Antibacterial Therapeutic Drug Delivery System

Flaky graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using Hummer’s method and then capped with polyethylene glycol (PEG) by an esterification reaction, then loaded with Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed extract. Aiming to investigate their potential use as a smart drug delivery system against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, the spectral and structural characteristics of GO-PEG NPs were comprehensively analyzed by XRD, AFM, TEM, FTIR, and UV- Vis. XRD patterns revealed that GO-PEG had different crystalline structures and defects, as well as a higher interlayer spacing. AFM results showed GONPs with the main grain size of 24.41 nm, while GONPs–PEG revealed graphene oxide aggregation with the main grain size of 287.04 nm after loading N. sativa seed extract, which was verified by TEM examination. A strong OH bond appeared in FTIR spectra. Furthermore, UV- Vis absorbance peaks at (275, 284, 324, and 327) nm seemed to be correlated with GONPs, GO–PEG, N. sativa seed extract, and GO –PEG- N. sativa extract. The drug delivery system was observed to destroy the bacteria by permeating the bacterial nucleic acid and cytoplasmic membrane, resulting in the loss of cell wall integrity, nucleic acid damage, and increased cell-wall permeability.     

Study of allelopathic effects of Eucalyptus erythrocorys L. crude extracts against germination and seedling growth of weeds and wheat

Allelopathic materials inside a tree can produce positive or negative change in the survival, growth, reproduction and behaviour of other organisms if they escape into the environment. To assess these effects, this work was carried out to evaluate the allelopathic impact of Eucalyptus erythrocorys L. on seed germination and seedling growth of two weeds: Sinapis arvensis L. and Phalaris canariensis L.; on one cultivated crop: Triticum durum L. Aqueous; and on ethanolic leaf extracts of E. erythrocorys L. The study was effected using four concentrations (10, 20, 25 and 30 μL/mL) while distilled water was used as a control. The results showed that the E. erythrocorys L. crude extracts had an inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling growth of both studied weeds and wheat. The inhibition rate was increased by the increase in extract concentration. Only ethanolic extracts of E. erythrocorys L. induced a significant inhibition of seed germination of durum wheat. The effect of E. erythrocorys L. crude extracts was more severe on weeds than on durum wheat. These results indicate that the seedling growth, especially radicle elongation, was the more sensitive indicator to evaluate the effects of extracts than was the seed germination.     

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity of Nigella sativa L. and Allium ursinum Extracts in a Cellular Model of Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Natural products black cumin—Nigella sativa (N. sativa) and wild garlic—Allium ursinum (AU) are known for their potential role in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, including antracycline chemotherapy. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of N. sativa and AU water and methanolic extracts in a cellular model of doxorubicin (doxo)-induced cardiotoxicity. The extracts were characterized using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. Antioxidant activity was evaluated on H9c2 cells. Cytosolic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) release was evaluated using 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin-diacetate (DHCF-DA) and mitochondria-targeted superoxide indicator (MitoSOX red), respectively. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization was evaluated by flow cytometry. LC-MS analysis identified 12 and 10 phenolic compounds in NSS and AU extracts, respectively, with flavonols as predominant compounds. FT-IR analysis identified the presence of carbohydrates, amino acids and lipids in both plants. GC-MS identified the sulfur compounds in the AU water extract. N. sativa seeds (NSS) methanolic extract had the highest antioxidant activity reducing both intracellular and mitochondrial ROS release. All extracts (excepting AU methanolic extract) preserved H9c2 cells viability. None of the investigated plants affected the mitochondrial membrane depolarization. N. sativa and AU are important sources of bioactive compounds with increased antioxidant activities, requiring different extraction solvents to obtain the pharmacological effects.     

Cytotoxicity,antifungal, antioxidant,antibacterial and photodegradation potential of silver nanoparticles mediated via Medicago sativa extract

The biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles is on a sharp rise as they have growing applications in environmental and biomedical sciences. This study reports an eco-friendly and cost-effective methodology for synthesizing biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the extract of Medicago sativa (M. sativa) cultivated in South Khorasan. The parameters used in the synthesis process were optimized to obtain uniformly distributed AgNPs in suitable sizes. The morphological, structural, and bonding characteristics of M. sativa extract-based AgNPs (MSE-AgNPs) were explored using FTIR, FESEM, EDS, TEM, XRD, UV–Vis, and DLS techniques. UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the formation of MSE-AgNPs by observing the typical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 419 nm. XRD, FESEM, TEM, and DLS analyses confirmed the formation of face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure, spherical/elliptical morphology, the average particle size of 15–35 nm, and highly stable MSE-AgNPs. Green synthesized MSE-AgNPs indicated a significant antioxidant activity (78%) compared to M. sativa extract (32%). As such, the synthesized MSE-AgNPs revealed a potential antioxidant activity towards the DPPH radicals. The biologically synthesized MSE-AgNPs exhibited highly potential antibacterial and antifungal activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 62.5, 125, 125, 1000, 125, 1000, and 31.25 µg/mL, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity of the MSE-AgNPs against human fibroblast (HF) cells indicated a dose–response activity (with IC50 value of 18 µg/mL). Moreover, the AgNPs revealed efficient photocatalytic degradation of thymol blue (TB) as an anionic dye and malachite green (MG) as a cationic dye under sunlight and UV irradiations. Up to 94.37% and 90.12% degradation rates were obtained for MG and TB within only 100 min of UV irradiation. These observations signify that synthesized MSE-AgNPs can have great potential for biological and environmental applications.     

Amarantholidols and amarantholidosides: new nerolidol derivatives from the weed Amaranthus retroflexus

Seven new sesquiterpenes, with nerolidol skeleton, have been isolated and characterized from the plant Amaranthus retroflexus, one of the major weeds of the world. The structures have been elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. The compounds have been characterized by the presence of hydroxyl groups or a glucopyranosyl moiety in the molecules. The configurations have been determined using Mosher's method. The compounds have been tested for their phytotoxicity on the test species Lactuca sativa. The bioassays showed an inhibitory effect on seed germination for all of compounds at the lowest concentrations.     

Poly(Styrene Sulfonate)/Poly(Allylamine Hydrochloride) Encapsulation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanoparticles Boosts Their Toxic and Repellent Activity Against Zika Virus Mosquito Vectors

Green fabricated nanoparticles often need to be encapsulated and stabilized, to ensure uniform dispersion in the aquatic environment and relevant larvicidal activity over time. However, recent research showed that nanoencapsulation processes led to a reduction of nanoparticle larvicidal efficacy. We used an extract of Argemone mexicana to reduce TiO₂ nanoparticles, which were then capped with PSS/PAH (poly(styrene sulfonate)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride)). The toxic and repellent potential of the nanoparticles were compared to elucidate their potential effects against the Zika virus vector Aedes aegypti. Nanoparticles were characterized by biophysical methods including UV–Vis, EDX and FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, XRD and DLS analyses. In larvicidal and pupicidal experiments, TiO₂ nanoparticles achieved LC₉₀ values from 41.648 (larva I), to 71.74 ppm (pupa). Nanoencapsulated TiO₂ achieved LC₉₀ values from 39.16 (I), to 69.12 ppm (pupa). In adulticidal experiments, LC₉₀ of TiO₂ nanoparticles on Ae. aegypti was 10.31 ppm, while LC₉₀ of nanoencapsulated TiO₂ was 9.54 ppm. At 10 ppm, the repellency towards Ae. aegypti was 80.43% for TiO₂ nanoparticles, and 88.04% for nanoencapsulated TiO₂. This research firstly highlighted the promising potential of PSS/PAH encapsulation, leading to the production of highly effective titania nanostructures, if compared to titania nanoparticles synthesized with eco-friendly routes without further stabilization.     

The Antimicrobial Effects and Metabolomic Footprinting of Carboxyl-Capped Bismuth Nanoparticles Against Helicobacter pylori

Organic salts of bismuth are currently used as antimicrobial agents against Helicobacter pylori. This study evaluated the antibacterial effect of elemental bismuth nanoparticles (Bi NPs) using a serial agar dilution method for the first time against different clinical isolates and a standard strain of H. pylori. The Bi NPs were biologically prepared and purified by a recently described method and subjected to further characterization by infrared spectroscopy and anti-H. pylori evaluation. Infrared spectroscopy results showed the presence of carboxyl functional groups on the surface of biogenic Bi NPs. These biogenic nanoparticles showed good antibacterial activity against all tested H. pylori strains. The resulting MICs varied between 60 and 100 μg/ml for clinical isolates of H. pylori and H. pylori (ATCC 26695). The antibacterial effect of bismuth ions was also tested against all test strains. The antimicrobial effect of Bi ions was lower than antimicrobial effect of bismuth in the form of elemental NPs. The effect of Bi NPs on metabolomic footprinting of H. pylori was further evaluated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Exposure of H. pylori to an inhibitory concentration of Bi NPs (100 μg/ml) led to release of some metabolites such as acetate, formic acid, glutamate, valine, glycine, and uracil from bacteria into their supernatant. These findings confirm that these nanoparticles interfere with Krebs cycle, nucleotide, and amino acid metabolism and shows anti-H. pylori activity.     

Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Application for NOx Control

Current gas ionization discharge techniques used in the removal of NOx from waste gases require large plasma sources, have high energy consumption, and may feature low NOx removal rates. We develop a system to generate reactive oxygen species through a strong ionization discharge, which is injected into a flow of simulated waste gas. The relative proportions and temperatures of input gases were controlled and the rate of consumption by reactive species was monitored. HNO₃ oxidization products of NOx were also collected and measured. The molar ratio of reactive oxygen species to NO was optimized to improve the rate of NOx removal. A input gas temperature of 58–60 °C was also found to be optimal. The O₂ volume fraction has almost no influence on NOx removal, while H₂O volume fractions above 6 %, gave rise to NOx removal rates of 97.2 %. The present study addresses disadvantages of current gas ionization discharge and requires no catalyst, reducing agent or oxidant.     

Synergistic Effects of Drought Stress and Photoperiods on Phenology and Secondary Metabolism of Silybum marianum

Silybum marianum is an important medicinal plant of the family Asteraceae, well known for its set of bioactive isomeric mixture of secondary metabolites “silymarin”, primarily acting as a hepato-protective agent. Abiotic stress augments plant secondary metabolism in different plant tissues to withstand harsh environmental fluctuations. In the current study, our aim was to induce drought stress in vitro on S. marianum under the influence of different photoperiod treatments to study the effects, with respect to variations in secondary metabolic profile and plant growth and development. S. marianum was extremely vulnerable to different levels of mannitol-induced drought stress. Water deficiency inhibited root induction completely and retarded plant growth was observed; however, phytochemical analysis revealed enhanced accumulation of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total protein content along with several antioxidative enzymes. Secondary metabolic content was positively regulated with increasing degree of drought stress. A dependent correlation of seed germination frequency at mild drought stress and antioxidative activities was established with 2 weeks dark?+?2 weeks 16/8 h photoperiod treatment, respectively, whereas a positive correlation existed for TPC and TFC when 4 weeks 16/8 h photoperiod treatment was applied. The effects of drought stress are discussed in relation to phenology, seed germination frequency, biomass build up, antioxidative potential, and secondary metabolites accumulation.     

Determination of total arsenic in soil and arsenic-resistant bacteria from selected ground water in Kandal Province, Cambodia

Cambodia has geological environments conducive to generation of high-arsenic groundwater and people are at high risk of chronic arsenic exposure. The aims of this study are to investigate the concentration of total arsenic and to isolate and identify arsenic-resistant bacteria from selected locations in Kandal Province, Cambodia. The INAA technique was used to measure the concentration of total arsenic in soils. The arsenic concentrations in soils were above permissible 5 mg/kg, ranging from 5.34 to 27.81 mg/kg. Bacteria resistant to arsenic from two arsenic-contaminated wells in Preak Russey were isolated by enrichment method in nutrient broth (NB). Colonies isolated from NB was then grown on minimal salt media (MSM) added with arsenic at increasing concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 and 250 ppm. Two isolates that can tolerate 750 ppm of arsenic were identified as Enterobacter agglomerans and Acinetobacter lwoffii based on a series of biochemical, physiological and morphological analysis. Optimum growth of both isolates ranged from pH 6.6 to 7.0 and 30–35 °C. E. agglomerans and A. lwoffii were able to remove 66.4 and 64.1 % of arsenic, respectively at the initial concentration of 750 ppm, within 72 h of incubation. Using energy dispersive X-ray technique, the percentage of arsenic absorbed by E. agglomerans and A. lwoffii was 0.09 and 0.15 %, respectively. This study suggested that arsenic-resistant E. agglomerans and A. lwoffii removed arsenic from media due to their ability to absorb arsenic.     

Apteniols A-F, oxyneolignans from the leaves of Aptenia cordifolia

Investigation of the organic extract of Aptenia cordifolia leaves revealed six new oxyneolignans named apteniols A-F. The structures were determined by means of spectroscopic methods. The C₆C₃ units are linked by an oxygen atom at C4-C4′ or C4-C2′ and they are dihydrophenylpropanoid acid units. Their effects on germination and growth of Lactuca sativa L. have been studied in the range concentration 10⁻⁴-10⁻⁷ M.     

Fullerenes as unique nanopharmaceuticals for disease treatment

As unique nanoparticles, fullerenes have attracted much attention due to their unparalleled physical, chemical and biological properties. Various functionalized fullerenes with -OH, -NH₂, -COOH, and peptide modifications were developed. It summarized the biological activities of fullerenes derivatives in cancer therapy with high efficiency and low toxicity, as reactive oxygen species scavenger and lipid peroxidation inhibitor, to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus and to suppress bacteria and microbial at low concentration. In addition, the mechanism for fullerene to enter cells and biodistribution of fullerene in vivo was also discussed. This research focuses on the current understanding of fullerenes-based nanomaterials in the potential clinical application as well as biological mechanism of fullerenes and its derivatives in disease therapy.