Activity concentration of radium-226 in agricultural soils

Both Indian mustard and sunflower were grown in a hydroponic solution treated with different concentration activities of ¹³⁴Cs or with different amounts of copper or with both in order to investigate the interaction between copper and radiocesium. It was found that ¹³⁴Cs activity concentration applied in the nutrient solution exerted more influence on the uptake and translocation of copper by Indian mustard than by sunflower. Indian mustard grown in hydroponic solution containing certain levels of copper and being treated with higher ¹³⁴Cs activity concentration showed higher uptake of copper than sunflower. However, in the case of root copper concentrations, sunflower showed significantly higher copper immobilization by roots than Indian mustard. It was also found that the presence of copper in the hydroponic solution did modify radiocesium uptake by both species. The application of 1 mg/l in the growth medium could greatly increase the uptake of ¹³⁴Cs by both species. With 3 mg/l concentration of copper amended to the solution, the accumulation of ¹³⁴Cs by both species was decreased compared to the 1 mg/l copper treatment. These lines of evidence show that there is stronger interaction between copper and radiocesium in Indian mustard than in sunflower during the root uptake through nutrient solution.     

Influence of Europium speciation on its accumulation in Brassica napus and over-expressing BnTR1 lines

This study aimed at influence of europium speciation on its accumulation in Brassica napus (CK) and over-expressing BnTR1 lines (OE), and the kinetics of Eu uptake were investigated. These results indicated that the uptake in the roots of OE was higher than that of CK at high concentrations of europium and even the enrichment in the roots of OE was as high as 20,000 mg/kg at 328.9 μΜ Eu, this suggested that OE might have better resistance to uranium than CK. The time kinetics in plants showed that there had the similar trend between CK and OE. The formation of Eu³⁺at pH 5 in deionized water was beneficial to plants enrichment Eu and carbonate could reduce the adsorption of Eu in two group and phosphate almost completely impress the adsorption of Eu in two group, but citric acid could enhance europium root-to-shoot translocation in two group. These results would help understanding the mechanism of Eu uptake in Brassica napus (CK) and over-expressing BnTR1 lines (OE), therefore properly developing efficient europium/americium phytoremediation.     

Absorption,transportation and distribution of imidacloprid in maize

The neonicotinoid imidacloprid is a very important insecticide in maize cultivation in China. A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate its absorption, transportation and distribution in maize plants. Plants were exposed to an aqueous solution of imidacloprid at five concentrations (10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL). The residues of imidacloprid in different plant parts were determined by using a quick and effective method of high-performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that the average recoveries ranged from 85.16% to 102.23%, with relative standard deviations of 1.82–4.40% at three different spiking levels in each different matrix. The half-lives of imidacloprid in hydroponic maize water were from 5.33 to 11.55 days. The concentrations in roots, stems and leaves were from 5.61 to 7.48, 1.03 to 4.03 and 0 to 30.57 μg/mL after 6 h–7 days exposed in 10 μg/mL imidacloprid aqueous solutions, respectively. Our study showed that imidacloprid was strongly absorbed by roots and mainly accumulated in leaves. Quantity ratio and bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were also used to estimate the distribution and accumulation in maize. The values of quantity ratios were the highest in the leaves while lowest in the root after 7 days treatments, with the ranking of leaves > stem > root. The BCFs were 0.63–1.66, 0.52–0.92 and 3.20–6.78 in root, stem and leaves, respectively. These results demonstrated that the exposed time and imidacloprid application concentrations were also the main factors influencing the absorption. This study enhances our understandings of the uptake and distribution of imidacloprid in maize plants.     

Uptake of weathered p,p′-DDE by plant species effective at accumulating soil elements

Ten plant species previously shown to accumulate inorganic elements effectively from natural solids were grown under field conditions in p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p′-DDE) contaminated soil. The plant species, which included rye, mustard, canola, vetch, pigeonpea, clover, peanut, and 3 cultivars of white lupin, represented both monocots and dicots, as well as two major families within the dicots: the Brassicaceae and the Fabaceae. The plants varied widely in their ability to phytoextract and translocate weathered p,p′-DDE. The percentage of contaminant phytoextracted ranged from 0.06% (white lupin) to 0.22% (clover, vetch), and the translocation factors (TF; contaminant concentration ratio of stems to roots) ranged from 0.04 (clover, white lupin) to 0.37 (canola). An inverse relationship exists between the amount of contaminant in the roots as measured by the root BCF (bioconcentration factor; dry weight contaminant concentration ratio of root to soil) and the TF. Duplicate mounds of each species were periodically amended with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), nitrogen and phosphorus together (N/P); a minus phosphorus treatment involved the addition of AlSO₄ to the soil prior to planting. The effect of nutrient regime on plant biomass, p,p′-DDE uptake and translocation, and inorganic element content varied greatly among the 10 plant species. For some species (rye, vetch, pigeonpea, clover, white lupin), reductions or non-significant changes in p,p′-DDE uptake were observed under the nutrient treatments and were not correlated with plant biomass effects. For mustard, canola, and peanut, the percentage of p,p′-DDE phytoextracted in the various treatments was more than doubled and was directly correlated with a two-fold increase in total plant biomass. Although it is generally assumed that fertilizer amendments will enhance the phytoremediation of organic and inorganic pollutants, the data here suggest that such effects are highly species specific and in some cases may actually decrease remediation potential.     

Phytoremediation of lead with green onions (Allium fistulosum) and uptake of arsenic compounds by moonlight ferns (Pteris cretica cv Mayii)

Phytoremediation has been investigated as an alternative to excavation to remediate contamination in soil. In this work, Allium fistulosum (green onions) and Pteris cretica cv Mayii (moonlight ferns) were investigated for phytoremediation. Green onions were planted in lead-spiked soil, and chelating agents were introduced to enhance the uptake of lead by the plants. Lead uptake was low in the absence of chelating reagents. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) significantly enhanced the concentration of lead in the stems of green onions, while propylenediaminetetraacetic acid (PDTA) did not induce lead absorption.Moonlight ferns (P. cretica cv Mayii) were planted in a hydroponic system to which arsenic (III), arsenic (V), and monomethylarsenate (MMA) were added with hydroponic solution. Ferns exposed to arsenic (III) showed the highest extraction of arsenic followed by ferns exposed to arsenic (V). The extraction of arsenic by the ferns was higher when arsenic (III) was mixed with arsenic (V) than the combination of arsenic (III) and MMA. These results suggest that inorganic arsenic is phytoextracted preferentially to MMA.     

Stability of arsenic species in hydroponic media and its influence on arsenic uptake and distribution in White mustard (Sinapis alba L.)

The long-term uptake and distribution of arsenic compounds by hydroponically cultivated White mustard (Sinapis alba) was investigated with a special emphasis on controlling the stability of the arsenic compounds in nutrient solution during the experiment. It was concluded that arsenites are rapidly oxidised to arsenates during the 7-day cultivation of White mustard. The presence of plant roots increases the oxidation rate of arsenites. Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and arsenates remain stable during the exposition, while monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) is partially demethylated. When the nutrient solution containing arsenites is exchanged daily, the distribution of arsenic in White mustard is significantly different (translocation factor—TF—is 70 times higher) in comparison to the experiment without exchange of the medium. Speciation analysis of arsenic in plant tissues and in nutrient solutions was performed by high performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC ICP-MS). The results obtained unquestionably illustrated that the uncontrolled conditions of hydroponic plant cultivation may be a source of misinterpretation of all the obtained data. Additionally, the synthesis of phytochelatins in plants exposed to different arsenic compounds was investigated. Phytochelatins were identified in tissues of plants exposed to arsenites and arsenates, and their presence was correlated with high arsenite content. Phytochelatin synthesis was not indicated in plants grown in the presence of MMA and DMA.     

Optimization of Adventitious Root Culture for Production of Biomass and Secondary Metabolites in Prunella vulgaris L.

Adventitious root cultures of Prunella vulgaris L. were established in shaking flask system for the production of biomass and secondary metabolites. Adventitious root cultures were induced from callus cultures obtained from leaf explants on solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing combination of 6-benzyladenine (BA; 1.0 mg l^?1) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA; 1.5 mg l^?1). Thereafter, 0.49 g inoculum was transferred to liquid MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of NAA (0.5–2.0 mg l^?1). Growth kinetics of adventitious roots was recorded with an interval of 7 days for 49 days period. Highest biomass accumulation (2.13 g/l) was observed in liquid medium containing 1.0 mg l^?1 NAA after 21 days of inoculation. However, other concentrations of NAA also showed similar accumulation pattern but the biomass gradually decreases after 49 days of inoculation. Adventitious roots were collected and dried for investigation of total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and antioxidant activities. Higher TPC (0.995 GAE mg/g-DRB) and TFC (6.615 RE mg/g-DRB) were observed in 0.5 mg l^?1 NAA treated cultures. In contrast, higher antioxidant activity (83.53 %) was observed 1.5 mg l^?1 NAA treated cultures. These results are helpful in up scaling of root cultures into bioreactor for secondary metabolites production.     

Production of the Biopesticide Azadirachtin by Hairy Root Cultivation of Azadirachta indica in Liquid-Phase Bioreactors

Batch cultivation of Azadirachta indica hairy roots was carried out in different liquid-phase bioreactor configurations (stirred-tank, bubble column, bubble column with polypropylene basket, and polyurethane foam disc as root supports) to investigate possible scale-up of the A. indica hairy root culture for in vitro production of the biopesticide azadirachtin. The hairy roots failed to grow in the conventional bioreactor designs (stirred tank and bubble column). However, modified bubble column reactor (with polyurethane foam as root support) configuration facilitated high-density culture of A. indica hairy roots with a biomass production of 9.2 g l^?1dry weight and azadirachtin yield of 3.2 mg g^?1 leading to a volumetric productivity of azadirachtin as 1.14 mg l^?1 day^?1. The antifeedant activity in the hairy roots was also evaluated by no choice feeding tests with known concentrations of the hairy root powder and its solvent extract separately on the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. The hairy root powder and its solvent extract demonstrated a high level of antifeedant activity (with an antifeedant index of 97 % at a concentration of 2 % w/v and 83 % at a concentration of 0.05 % (w/v), respectively, in ethanol).     

镉污染对蔬菜镉吸收和积累的影响

通过水培和土培试验研究了外源镉添加对3种蔬菜镉吸收和积累的影响。结果表明,随着外源镉添加质量浓度的提高,蔬菜可食用部位镉含量随着增加,蔬菜可食用部位镉含量与环境介质中外源镉添加质量浓度呈现出显著的线性相关。3种蔬菜中,芹菜对镉的吸收能力最强,其次为小白菜,而辣椒果实对镉的吸收能力最弱,仅为小白菜的25％。（以小白菜、芹菜、辣椒）中镉元素的最大允许量为限值,根据相关回归方程计算得到了溶液中镉的临界质量浓度值分别为0．06,0．086,0．11mg／L,而土壤中镉的临界质量分数分别为0．68、0．57、0．60mg／kg。     

Uptake and elimination of lanthanum by excised roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.

In this paper, uptake and elimination of lanthanum by excised roots of Triticum aestivum L. in various conditions were studied. Lanthanum concentrations in the roots were determined by neutron activation analysis. Results showed that the uptake of La in the excised root was almost independent of vitality, and the bonding of La with the roots was tight, but could be removed by EDTA treatment. There was significant dose-dependent accumulation of La in the excised roots within the experimental concentration (0–40 μmol/l).     

Effects of Phytohormones and Jasmonic Acid on Glucosinolate Content in Hairy Root Cultures of Sinapis alba and Brassica rapa

Although some study have established hairy root cultures from brassicaceous plants with glucosinolates (GS) as characteristic secondary metabolite, studies are missing which compare hairy roots with the corresponding mother plants. Therefore, two different plant species—Sinapis alba and Brassica rapa subsp. rapa pygmeae teltoviensis—were transformed with the Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4. Aliphatic and indolyl GS were present in B. rapa, exhibiting larger quantities in leaves than in roots. Aromatic p-hydroxybenzyl GS were found particularly in the leaves of S. alba. However, the proportion of indolyl GS increased suddenly in transformed hairy roots of S. alba and B. rapa. Cultivation with the phytohormone kinetin (0.5 mg?L^?1) enhanced GS accumulation in B. rapa hairy roots, however not in S. alba, but 2,4-D (0.4 mg?L^?1) induced de-differentiation of roots in both species and reduced GS levels. GS levels especially of 1-methoxyindol-3ylmethyl GS increased in hairy roots in response to JA, but root growth was inhibited. While 2 weeks of cultivation in 100 to 200 μM JA were determined at optimum for maximum GS yield in S. alba hairy root cultures, 4 weeks of cultivation in 50 to 100 μM JA was the optimum for B. rapa.     

Adsorption and kinetic behavior of uranium and thorium in seawater-sediment system

The adsorption and kinetic mechanism of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) in seawater-sediments system of Mumbai Harbour Bay (MHB) has been studied by K _d values of two sets of experimental determinations using a batch experiment. After equilibrium time (7 days), under static conditions, K _d for U and Th ranged from 25,030 to 55,662 mL/g (mean: 42,140 mL/g) and 24,926 to 38,561 mL/g (mean: 34,256 L/kg), respectively. Extraction studies showed that both U and Th were strongly bound to sediment components due to insignificant difference in their mean concentration in equilibrium solution. Rate constants (k) for transfer between seawater and the exchangeable fraction were found to be similar for the sediments as 1.02 ± 0.03 day^?1 for uptake of U and Th. The resulting adsorption data were fitted to Freundlich, linear and Langmuir isotherm models. All the three models showed a significant correlation (R ² >0.9), indicating that there is more complex relationships with adsorption behavior of U and Th on sediment surface. Since, the Freundlich constant (n) for U and Th was found to be closer to unity. Therefore linear model was observed to be highly suitable. Based on the linear model, the distribution coefficient (k _d) of Th was about 1.5 times higher than U. According to Freundlich model, sorption of U in sediments observed to be higher than Th. However, Langmuir model considered in opposite to Freundlich and showed a higher value of K _L constant for Th than U. The pH (water) of the sediments ranged from 7.8 to 8.2 and the estimated total carbon (determined by C H N S–O elemental analyser) ranged from 1.7 to 3.4 %.     

Selenium transformation studies during broccoli (Brassica oleracea) growing process by liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS)

Selenium uptake and transformation was studied in Se-enriched Broccoli (Brassica olearacea). Plants were grown in hydroponic culture and exposed during 40 days to Na₂SeO₃ (1 mg L⁻¹). After growing, the plants were harvested and their different parts (roots, stems and fruit) were analyzed by ICP-MS or LC-ICP-MS.Se-species were identified and quantified after enzymatic extraction by using both an anion exchange (PRP-X100), and a size exclusion/ion exchange (Shodex Asahipak) chromatographic columns. Selenium translocation and transformation Se species in plants was studied through the Se-speciation in root, stem and fruit. After 40 days of exposure, selenomethionine was the major species found in roots, however, Se-methylselenocysteine was the main species found in the fruit, suggesting Broccoli as a source of this important selenoamino acid in human diet. However, the degree of meal processing influences the stability of Se-aminoacids. Speciation studies in boiled Broccoli and in the extraction water were also carried out. This experiment revealed a noticeable degradation of Se-methylselenocysteine in the boiled Broccoli fruit.Proteins soluble in Tris-HCl were analyzed by two-dimensional chromatography coupled to ICP-MS.The results obtained contribute not only to a deeper understanding of Se accumulation mechanisms by plants but also to further functional food complements preparation and the effect of food processing on species stability.     

In Vitro Plant Propagation of Catharanthus roseus and Assessment of Genetic Fidelity of Micropropagated Plants by RAPD Marker Assay

An investigation was carried out to develop an efficient micropropagation protocol for Catharanthus roseus. Experiments were conducted to optimize suitable media for in vitro shoot multiplication and root induction. Out of the different media compared for in vitro shoot multiplication, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1 mg/l of 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.2 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid showed better response in terms of the emergence of shoots from axillary buds as well as proliferation and multiplication of shoots. The shoots when placed on half strength of MS medium having 1 mg/l indole 3-butyric acid and 0.25 % charcoal showed cent percent root induction with maximum number of roots per shoot (4.2) as well as maximum root length (1.72 cm). Further, clonal fidelity of the in vitro-raised plants was carried out using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA marker and results indicated that all the tissue culture-derived plants are true-to-type and there were no somaclonal variations among these plants.     

Regulation of vincamine biosynthesis and associated growth promoting effects through abiotic elicitation,cyclooxygenase inhibition,and precursor feeding of bioreactor grown Vinca minor hairy roots

Hydroxylase/acetyltransferase elicitors and cyclooxygenase inhibitor along with various precursors from primary shikimate and secoiridoid pools have been fortified to vincamine less hairy root clone of Vinca minor to determine the regulatory factors associated with vincamine biosynthesis. Growth kinetic studies revealed that acetyltransferase elicitor acetic anhydride and terpenoid precursor loganin significantly reduce the growth either supplemented alone or in combination (GI?=?140.6?±?18.5 to 246.7?±?24.3), while shikimate and tryptophan trigger biomass accumulation (GI?=?440.2?±?31.5 to 540.5?±?40.3). Loganin also downregulates total alkaloid biosynthesis. Maximum flux towards vincamine production (0.017?±?0.001 % dry wt.) was obtained when 20-day-old hairy roots were fortified with secologanin (10 mg/l) along with tryptophan (100 mg/l), naproxen (8.4 mg/l), hydrogen peroxide (20 μg/l), and acetic anhydride (32.4 mg/l). This was supported by RT PCR (qPCR) analysis where 2- and 3-fold increase in tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC; RQ?=?2.0?±?0.09) and strictosidine synthase (STR; RQ?=?3.3?±?0.36) activity, respectively, was recorded. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for growth kinetics, total alkaloid content, and gene expression studies favored highly significant data (P?<?0.05–0.01). Above treated hairy roots were also up-scaled in a 5-l stirred-tank bioreactor where a 40-day cycle yielded 8-fold increase in fresh root mass.     

Counter-current extraction and separation of U(VI) from a mixture of U(VI)–Th(IV)–Y(III) using tris-2-ethyl hexyl phosphate (TEHP)

Evaluation of tris-2-ethyl hexyl phosphate (TEHP) for counter-current extraction and separation of U(VI) from a mixture of U(VI)–Th(IV)–Y(III) from nitric acid medium was carried out under wide experimental conditions. Batch extraction studies were carried out to investigate the effect of nitric acid concentration in feed solution, U(VI)/Th(IV) ratio and extractant concentration and the results were compared with established solvent such as tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) for separation of U(VI) from nitric acid medium. McCabe–Thiele diagrams for extraction as well as stripping of U(VI) were constructed under simulated conditions. Based on batch experiments, six stage counter-current extraction studies were conducted under various TEHP concentration and it was observed that 0.1 M TEHP/n-paraffin was most suitable for selective recovery of U(VI) from a mixture of U(VI)–Th(IV). An optimized condition, 0.1 M TEHP/n-paraffin, 2 M HNO₃ in feed and six number of stages was evaluated for selective extraction and stripping of U(VI) from a solution containing mixture of U(VI)–Th(IV)–Y(III) in nitric acid medium. The U(VI) in strip solution was precipitated using 30 % H₂O₂ at pH ~3. Average particle size of the final precipitate was found to be ~33 μm.     

Estimation of total as well as bioaccessible levels and average daily dietary intake of iodine from Japanese edible seaweeds by epithermal neutron activation analysis

An epi-thermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (EINAA) method in conjunction with Compton suppression spectrometry (EINAA-CSS) was used for the determination of total iodine in eight different species of edible seaweeds from Japan. This method gave an absolute detection limit of about 2 μg. The accuracy of the method was evaluated using various reference materials and found to be generally in agreement within ±6% of the certified values. The longitudinal distributions of iodine at different growing stages in Japanese sea mustard and tangle seaweeds were investigated. For a 150-cm-high tangle, the highest concentration (5,360 mg/kg) of iodine was found at the root, then decreased slowly to 780 mg/kg in the middle portion (60–75 cm), and increased to 2,300 mg/kg at the apex. On the other hand, for a 190-cm-high sea mustard the highest levels of iodine were found both at the roots (164 mg/kg) and apex (152 mg/kg) with lower values (98 mg/kg) in the middle section. In order to estimate the bioaccessible fraction of iodine, seaweeds were digested by an in vitro enzymolysis method, dietary fibre separated from residue, and both fractions analyzed by EINAA-CSS. The average daily dietary intakes of total (0.14 mg) as well as bioaccessible fraction (0.12 mg) of iodine from the consumption of sea mustards were estimated.     

Methyl Jasmonate Effect on Betulinic Acid Content and Biological Properties of Extract from Senna obtusifolia Transgenic Hairy Roots

It is known that Senna obtusifolia has been used in medicine since ancient times due to the content of many valuable compounds with a pro-health effect. One of them is betulinic acid, which is a pentacyclic triterpene with antimalarial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. In this work, a continuation of our previous research, an attempt was made to increase the level of betulinic acid accumulation by the cultivation of transgenic hairy roots that overexpress the squalene synthase gene in a 10 L sprinkle bioreactor with methyl jasmonate elicitation. We present that the applied strategy allowed us to increase the content of betulinic acid in hairy root cultures to the level of 48 mg/g dry weight. The obtained plant extracts showed a stronger cytotoxic effect on the U87MG glioblastoma cell line than the roots grown without elicitors. Additionally, the induction of apoptosis, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, chromosomal DNA fragmentation and activation of caspase cascades are demonstrated. Moreover, the tested extract showed inhibition of topoisomerase I activity.     

Antidiabetic Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Zaleya decandra in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder that disturbs the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Medicinal plants play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of Zaleya decandra roots on alloxan-induced diabetes in rats. Oral administration of ethanolic extract of the root (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 15 days restored the levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, total proteins, urea, creatinine, lipid peroxidation level, and antioxidant enzymes significantly in diabetic rats. Histopathological studies showed significant changes like necrosis and degeneration in the liver and pancreas of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Also these histopathological abnormalities were found to be normalized after treatment with Z. decandra extract. The efficacy of the root extract was found to be equivalent when compared to the standard hypoglycemic drug glibenclamide (1.25 mg/kg body weight/day, orally) in diabetic rats.