Ornamental Plant Efficiency for Heavy Metals Phytoextraction from Contaminated Soils Amended with Organic Materials

Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) by ornamental plants (OPs) from contaminated agriculture soils is a unique technique that can efficiently reduce the metal load in the food chain. Amaranthus tricolor L. has attractive characteristics acquiring a higher growth rate and large biomass when grown at heavy metal contaminated soils. Site-specific detailed information is not available on the use of A. tricolor plant in metal phytoremediation from the polluted sites. The study aimed to enhance the uptake of HMs (Pb, Zn, and Cu) via amending poultry litter extract (PLE), vinasse sugarcane (VSC), and humic acid (HA) as natural mobilized organic materials compared to ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), as a common mobilized chemical agent by A. tricolor plant. The studied soils collected from Helwan, El-Gabal El-Asfar (Cairo Governorate), Arab El-Madabeg (Assiut Governorate), Egypt, and study have been conducted under pot condition. Our results revealed all organic materials in all studied soils, except EDTA in EL-Gabal El-Asfar soil, significantly increased the dry weight of the A. tricolor plant compared to the control treatment. The uptake of Pb and Zn significantly (p > 0.05) increased due to applying all organic materials to the studied soils. HA application caused the highest uptake as shown in Pb concentration by more than 5 times in Helwan soil and EDTA by 65% in El-Gabal El-Asfar soil while VSC increased it by 110% in El-Madabeg soil. Also, an increase in Zn concentration due to EDTA application was 58, 42, and 56% for Helwan, El-Gabal El-Asfar, and El-Madabeg soil, respectively. In all studied soils, the application of organic materials increased the remediation factor (RF) than the control. El-Madabeg soil treated with vinasse sugarcane gave the highest RF values; 6.40, 3.26, and 4.02% for Pb, Zn, and Cu, respectively, than the control. Thus, we identified A. tricolor as a successful ornamental candidate that, along with organic mobilization amendments, most efficiently develop soil health, reduce metal toxicity, and recommend remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. Additionally, long-term application of organic mobilization amendments and continued growth of A. tricolor under field conditions could be recommended for future directions to confirm the results.     

Exogenous Sodium Nitroprusside Mitigates Salt Stress in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) by Affecting the Growth,Yield, and Biochemical Properties

Soil salinity disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of crop plants and ultimately leads to compromising future food security. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a contributor to nitric oxide (NO), holds the potential to alleviate abiotic stress effects and boost tolerance in plants, whereas less information is available on its role in salt-stressed lentils. We examined the effect of exogenously applied SNP on salt-stressed lentil plants by monitoring plant growth and yield-related attributes, biochemistry of enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)) amassing of leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Salinity stress was induced by NaCl application at concentrations of 50 mM (moderate salinity) and 100 mM (severe salinity), while it was alleviated by SNP application at concentrations of 50 µM and 100 µM. Salinity stress severely inhibited the length of roots and shoots, the relative water content, and the chlorophyll content of the leaves, the number of branches, pods, seeds, seed yield, and biomass per plant. In addition, MDA, H₂O₂ as well as SOD, CAT, and POD activities were increased with increasing salinity levels. Plants supplemented with SNP (100 µM) showed a significant improvement in the growth- and yield-contributing parameters, especially in plants grown under moderate salinity (50 mM NaCl). Essentially, the application of 100 µM SNP remained effective to rescue lentil plants under moderate salinity by regulating plant growth and biochemical pathways. Thus, the exogenous application of SNP could be developed as a useful strategy for improving the performance of lentil plants in salinity-prone environments.     

Recent developments and comparison of transformation strategies for organic halides to aldehydes and ketones

Molecular Diversity - Aldehydes and ketones are parts of millions of compounds and are important classes of chemicals which serve as important precursors for the synthesis of library of compounds....     

Physicochemical investigation of sulfonamide-derived compounds interacting with conventional cationic surfactants in aqueous media

The sulfonamide core in compounds is effective synthons, which offer exciting perspectives in chemotherapeutic and pharmacological research. In this study, we investigated the molecular interaction of potent sulfonamide derivatives (SDs), 2-benzenesulfonamido-3-methylbutyric acid (BSB) and tetraaquabis{3-methyl-2-[(phenylsulfonyl)amino]butanoate}copper(II) (Cu-BSB), with cationic surfactants, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and ethylhexadecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (EHDAB), using UV-visible spectroscopy and steady-state fluorescence measurements. Various mathematical models were applied to quantify the effect of cationic surfactants on physicochemical characteristics of BSB and Cu-BSB. These interactions were confirmed by estimating the partition coefficient (K_x), binding capacities (K_b), Stern-Volmer quenching constant (K_sv), and related Gibbs free energies (ΔG_b). The in-depth mechanism revealed that the binding mode in SD–surfactants combinational system is spontaneous and quenching exists in static mode initiated by ground-state complex formation. We believe that the true knowledge of host–guest interaction mechanisms concerning model membrane with entrapped moiety can help in better understanding of molecular recognition in related phospholipid membrane models.     

Thermokinetic studies of organotin(IV) carboxylates derived from para-methoxyphenylethanoic acid

Thremogravimetric (TG) studies of a new series of organotin(IV) carboxylates of the general formula R_nSnL_4-n (where R = CH₃, C₂H₅, C₄H₉, C₆H₅, C₆H₁₁ and C₈H₁₇, n = 2, 3 and L = para-methoxyphenylethanoate anion) have been carried out. Horowitz and Metzger method has been used to calculate thermokinetic parameters. It has been found that diorganotin dicarboxylates have larger activation energy than those of corresponding triorganotin carboxylates. Furthermore, the activation energy, Gibb’s free energy, entropy and enthalpy of diorganotin compounds shows the following trend, (CH₃)₂SnL₂ < (C₂H₅)₂SnL₂ < (C₄H₉)₂SnL₂ < (C₈H₁₇)₂SnL₂. This is attributed to steady increase in chain length of the alkyl groups. However, triorganotin compounds do not show such behavior.     

Enhanced mobility and environmental stability in all organic field‐effect transistors: The role of high dipole moment solvent

Low‐operating voltage, high mobility, and stable organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) using polymeric dielectrics such as pristine poly(4‐vinyl phenol) (PVP) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), dissolved in solvents of high dipole moment, have been achieved. High dipole moment solvents such as propylene carbonate and dimethyl sulfoxide used for dissolving the polymer dielectric enhance the charge carrier mobilities by three orders of magnitude in pentacene OFETs compared with low dipole moment solvents. Fast switching circuits with patterned gate PVP‐based pentacene OFETs demonstrated a switching frequency of 75 kHz at input voltages of |5 V|. The frequency response of the OFETs is attributed to a high degree of dipolar‐order in dielectric films obtained from high‐polarity solvents and the resulting energetically ordered landscape for transport. Remarkably, these pentacene‐based OFETs exhibited high stability under bias stress and in air with negligible shifts in the threshold voltage. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1533–1542     

Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Some Di‐ and Triorganotin(IV) Carboxylates Derived from para‐Nitrophenylethanoic Acid

Thermogravimetric (TG) investigations of organotin(IV) carboxylates with the general formula R_mSnL_4−m (where R=CH₃, C₂H₅, n‐C₄H₉, C₆H₅, cyclo‐C₆H₁₁, n‐C₈H₁₇, m=2, 3, and L=para‐nitrophenylethanoate anion) have been performed. Derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques, Horowitz‐Metzger method and the fundamental thermodynamic relations are used to evaluate the thermokinetic parameters of each thermal degradation pattern. Results reveal that the thermal stability is functional to Sn C and Sn O bonds. In the case of R₂SnL₂, activation energy, reaction order and pre‐exponential factor associated with the bulk degradation processes increase as the alkane chain length increases. Hence, Oct₂SnL₂ is thermally more stable than Bu₂SnL₂, which in turn is more resistant to thermal dissociation than Et₂SnL₂. The same phenomenon is not observed for R₃SnL compounds because their degradation is highly irregular. Furthermore, R₂SnL₂ has larger values of kinetic parameters than those of corresponding triorganotin(IV) para‐nitrophenylethanotes. Thermodynamic parameters of these compounds also reinforce the above facts.     

Differential functional theory and molecular docking studies of newly synthesized carbamates

Four new carbamates (RZ1–RZ4) were synthesized from different amine moieties through reported methods. The reaction was monitored using thin layer chromatography and characterization was done using m.p., fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Density functional theory (DFT) studies were carried out using Gaussian 09 software to compare the theoretical and practical parameters of the synthesized compounds. Highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) were also drawn to calculate the energy difference between orbitals. In‐vitro enzyme inhibition potential against acetylcholine esterase (AChE), butyrylcholine esterase (BChE), and protease was checked through standard protocols that suggested moderate inhibition against selected enzymes. Docking studies were also carried out, which depicted that these compounds have ability to bind on the active site of AChE and BChE.     

Measurement of Magnesium Stability Constants of Biologically Relevant Ligands by Simultaneous Use of pH and Ion-Selective Electrodes

Simultaneous measurements with magnesium ion-selective and pH glass electrodes have been used for determination of the stability constants of magnesium ions with various biologically relevant ligands by alkalimetric titration under physiological conditions (37^○C, I=0.15 mol⋅dm⁻³). New systems were investigated: magnesium with pyroglutamate, pyridoxine and HEPES, along with citrate, lactate, glycinate, aspartate and glutamate. For comparison, calcium stability constants with the same ligands were determined similarly, using calcium ion-selective and pH glass electrodes. Ligand protonation constants, necessary for the calculation of the metal complex formation constants, were also determined.