South African Journal of Botany最新文献

{"title":"Changes in plant hormones and transcriptome behind the three pistils formation in wheat","authors":"Tao Li ,&nbsp;Yichao Wu ,&nbsp;Ruiyang Lan ,&nbsp;Mingli Liao ,&nbsp;Zhenyong Chen ,&nbsp;Shuhong Wei ,&nbsp;Zhengsong Peng ,&nbsp;Zaijun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Auxin and gibberellin significantly influence plant pistil development, but their specific roles in the formation of the three pistils trait in wheat are still unclear. To investigate the effects of auxin and gibberellin on the three pistils trait in wheat, we measured the contents of auxin and gibberellin in young spikes from three pistils wheat (TP and CM28TP) and single pistil wheat (CM28) at three stages. We also performed transcriptome sequencing. A total of 14 different auxins and 7 different gibberellins were detected from all samples, among which the contents of IAA-Glc and GA19 showed significant differences among different samples. The transcriptome sequencing yielded over 1.28 billion clean reads and 3.2 million transcripts. A total of 2,018 and 6,163 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the comparisons of CM28 <em>vs</em> CM28TP and CM28 <em>vs</em> TP, respectively. Through the correlation analysis between auxin, gibberellin, and DEGs, 4 <em>ARF</em> genes, 3 <em>AMI</em> genes, and 3 <em>DELLA</em> genes were identified. These results suggest that IAA-Glc, GA19, and the 10 key genes were crucial factors in the formation of three pistils trait. Further analysis showed that <em>ARF</em> expression level and GA contents were negatively correlated with three pistils trait, while <em>DELLA</em> expression level and auxin contents were positively correlated. This study suggests that auxin and gibberellin signal transduction have an antagonistic relationship during wheat flower development, influencing the formation of the three pistils. This discovery helps further understanding of the mechanism behind the formation of the three pistils trait and provides theoretical support for the cultivation of high-yield wheat.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sennosides A and B could contribute to the antimicrobial efficiency of Senna alexandrina Mill. against pathogenic bacteria in vitro and in vivo models","authors":"Kumaraguru Gowtham ,&nbsp;Govindhan Thiruppathi ,&nbsp;Muthusamy Balasubramanian ,&nbsp;Malaiyandi Jayanthi ,&nbsp;Palanisamy Sundararaj ,&nbsp;Shanmugam Girija","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The search of new antimicrobial compounds is increasing in due with increasing bacterial infections. Discovering effective antibacterial medications is crucial for improving healthcare and combating bacterial infections. <em>Senna alexandrina</em> Mill. known as Tinnevelly senna, used as herbal extract in traditional medicine and found be rich in anthraquinone glycosides like sennoside A (SA) and sennoside B (SB), shows significant biological activity as a potential therapeutic agent. This study assessed the antibacterial effects of senna extracts on Gram-negative <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> and Gram-positive <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> bacteria, both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>. HPLC analysis identified sennosides as the major compounds in senna extracts, with the highest concentration found in the leaves, followed by the pods, flowers, stems, and roots. The leaf extract showed the highest sennoside content (SA 27.21 mg/g and SB 29.1 mg/g) compared to other plant parts. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of sennosides through the detection of carboxylic acids and OH functional groups in <em>S. alexandrina</em> extracts. Extracts rich in sennosides displayed potent <em>in vitro</em> antibacterial activity (1000 µg/mL) by generating ROS, penetrating and becoming disruptive to bacterial functions. Similarly, in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> model, they inhibited bacterial growth and colonization and enhanced physiological functions in the worms. Senna extract (1000 µg/mL) improved intestinal barrier's structural stability in <em>C. elegans</em> by outcompeting pathogenic bacteria and prolonged survival rates of those infected with <em>P. aeruginosa</em> and <em>S. aureus</em> to 56.6 % and 62.4 %, respectively, confirming the potent antibacterial efficacy of senna leaf methanolic extracts due to their high sennoside content in both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eucalyptus globulus essential oil as food preservative: Chemical composition, antimicrobial (in vitro and in situ), antibiofilm and insecticidal potential","authors":"Miroslava Kačániová ,&nbsp;Natália Čmiková ,&nbsp;Nenad L. Vukovic ,&nbsp;Zhaojun Ban ,&nbsp;Alessandro Bianchi ,&nbsp;Stefania Garzoli ,&nbsp;Rania Ben Saad ,&nbsp;Anis Ben Hsouna ,&nbsp;Joel Horacio Elizondo-Luévano ,&nbsp;Milena D. Vukic","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of species within the <em>Eucalyptus</em> genus has been widespread in traditional medicine practices globally. However, concerns regarding safety and toxicity data have been prominent due to the extensive use of its essential oil, which is widely regarded for its medicinal properties and various applications. This research aimed to analyze the chemical makeup of <em>Eucalyptus globulus</em> essential oil (EGEO) and explore its antibacterial and insecticidal properties both in laboratory settings and real-life scenarios. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was employed to identify the chemical constituents of EGEO, revealing 1,8-cineole (86.1 %), ο-Cymene (4.9 %), α-Pinene (3.8 %), γ-Terpinene (2.2 %), and α-Terpinene (1.6 %) as the primary components. The disc diffusion method demonstrated EGEOʼs strongest antimicrobial activity against <em>Micrococcus luteus</em> (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), while minimal inhibition concentration tests indicated notable effectiveness against <em>Streptococcus pneumoniae</em> (MIC₅₀ 2.25 mg/mL and MIC₉₀ 2.79 mg/mL). <em>In situ</em> antibacterial assessments using white radish and pear food models showed heightened activity compared to contact application, particularly with the highest concentration (500 µg/L), yielding optimal results against <em>Pseudomonas putida</em> (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, the study investigated EGEO's antibiofilm properties against <em>Salmonella enterica</em> using mass spectrometry and the crystal violet method. In terms of insecticidal action, EGEO at 100 % concentration resulted in the mortality of 90 % of <em>Harmonia axyridis</em> individuals. This comprehensive investigation contributes to a deeper understanding of both the chemical composition and biological activities of <em>Eucalyptus globulus</em> essential oil, highlighting its potential as a source of natural compounds with promising therapeutic properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and characterization of sequence variants from a de novo-assembled partial pan-genome of cactus pear (Opuntia L.)","authors":"Mathabatha F. Maleka ,&nbsp;Tsholofelo J. Modise ,&nbsp;Morné G. Du Plessis ,&nbsp;Gesine M. Coetzer","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Members of the genus <em>Opuntia</em> exhibit extensive morphological variation that is seemingly linked to their propensity for occupying extreme environments all over the world. The plants are very important to the agriculture industry as they have many health-promoting nutritional and bioactive compounds. Also, as succulents, they are interesting because they develop peculiar stems – which, however, fulfil the role of leaves – that enable the storage of copious amounts of water. Yet, little is known about the genomes of <em>Opuntia</em> species although having such data can give insight into the genetic diversity that regulates the observed morphological variation as well as the molecular processes responsible for the development of succulent leaves. The current study aimed to sequence and <em>de novo</em> assemble a partial reference genome of <em>Opuntia</em> that would be used to find sequence variants for differentiating species and cultivars of this important agricultural crop. Illumina sequencing was performed on 10 cultivars that represented two species (<em>Opuntia ficus-indica</em> and <em>O. robusta</em>) within the South African <em>Opuntia</em> germplasm. Sequence assembly of 214 million filtered high-quality reads generated a 657 Mbp partial pan-genome that represented ∼30 % of a predicted <em>O. ficus-indica</em> genome. Functional annotation of the assembled sequences at different bioinformatic databases revealed many genes relating to diverse developmental pathways as well as water storage. Further, sequence variants including some 60,000 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 118,000 biallelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered by mapping reads of each cultivar against the assembled partial reference pan-genome of <em>Opuntia</em>. While the identified number of SNPs is significant it, however, corresponded to moderate and higher frequency variants only (minor allele frequency [MAF] &gt; 0.2). Also, a random selection of 1,000 SNPs genotyped across all specimens were able to differentiate the 10 cultivars and two species studied herein. Overall, the current study reports the first partial reference pan-genome of <em>Opuntia</em> specimens. The generated data should serve as a valuable genetic resource for future studies seeking to analyze diversity-related phenomena or elucidate the molecular development and growth of <em>Opuntia</em> specimens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142527487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential effects of foliar and seed priming glycine betaine application on quinoa physiology under varying salinity level","authors":"Azize Vali ,&nbsp;Hossein Zahedi ,&nbsp;Akbar Alipour ,&nbsp;Younes Sharghi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Naeini","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rising soil salinity hinders global crop yields by damaging plants, threatening food security. This study assessed glycine betaine (GB) application methods (foliar, seed priming) and salinity levels (0, 60, 120, 180 mM NaCl) on quinoa over two seasons. For ionic homeostasis, seed priming improved K⁺/Na+ ratio by 10–15 % at low salinity, while foliar was 12–18 % more effective at high salinity. Seed priming remained 10–15 % superior for roots. Foliar enhanced osmolytes by 12–16 % at low salinity, but seed priming had 16–20 % stronger effects at high salinity. Under low salinity, seed priming provided 8–12 % better protection for chlorophyll and photosynthetic efficiency. At high salinity, foliar GB was 10–15 % best for chlorophyll, seed priming 12–16 % more effective for photosynthetic rate, and foliar GB had an 8–10 % edge for Fv/Fm. GB reduced MDA by 8–12 % at low salinity, 12–16 % with seed priming at medium salinity in 2023, and 16–20 % with foliar in 2024. At high salinity, seed priming decreased MDA by 20–25 % in 2023, while foliar showed a 24–28 % reduction. GB moderately enhanced antioxidants by 8–12 % under mild stress, but seed priming and foliar differed 16–20 % in effectiveness under severe stress. For nutrients, seed priming had a 12–16 % advantage for nitrogen at medium salinity in 2023, while foliar excelled with a 16–20 % increase under high stress in 2024. Seed priming was 16–20 % better for phosphorus at high salinity in 2023, but foliar had 20–25 % superior results in 2024. These findings highlight complex plant responses to GB-salinity interactions, with optimal methods varying by trait, stress level, and environmental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity of Cordyceps militaris in vitro culture extracts","authors":"Macuil-Tlachino Victor ,&nbsp;Olivo-Vidal Zendy ,&nbsp;Gutiérrez-Rebolledo Gabriel ,&nbsp;Gómez y Gómez Yolanda de las Mercedez ,&nbsp;Jiménez-Martínez Cristian ,&nbsp;Hernández Delgado Natalia ,&nbsp;Sánchez-Chino Xariss M","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.09.066","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.09.066","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Cordyceps militaris</em> is an entomopathogenic fungus with therapeutic potential in humans. The focus is on its hydroalcoholic extracts, which were obtained from biomass cultured <em>in vitro</em> in molasses. The media were subjected to a colourimetric chemical screening, an <em>in vitro</em> antioxidant potential evaluation by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP, and a cytotoxicity test by MTT assay. The results evidenced the presence of reducing sugars, alkaloids, coumarins, cardiac glycosides, and sesquiterpene lactones in both extracts. Additionally, tannins and quinones were identified exclusively in EHM. EHG exhibited a higher concentration of phenolic compounds (6.6 µg GAE/mg), while EHM demonstrated a higher concentration of phytates (40 µg PAE/mg), and both exhibited similar amounts of saponins (2.55±0.18 µg DGE/mg).</div><div>The antioxidant potential of the extracts was assessed using the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. The results demonstrated that EHG exhibited a greater effect in both assays, with 60.98 % and 80.70 % inhibition, respectively. In contrast, no significant difference was observed in the DPPH assay, with an average inhibition of 77.83 %. Both extracts exhibited no cytotoxicity at the concentrations tested, demonstrating 100 % viability (LC₅₀ &gt; 300 µg/mL). It was concluded that the use of different carbon sources in both enriched media for the <em>in vitro</em> culture of <em>C. militaris</em> resulted in a modified chemical profile of the obtained biomass, which exhibited greater phytochemical complexity when cultured with molasses. In contrast, the biomass cultured with glucose showed a notable antioxidant potential <em>in vitro</em>, and no extract exhibited cytotoxicity in the tested cell lines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Essential oil from Ocimum viride exerts caspase-3 interceded apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells","authors":"Madhunika Agrawal ,&nbsp;A.K. Saxena ,&nbsp;Satyam Kumar Agrawal","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study discusses the apoptotic potential of essential oil from whole plant of <em>Ocimum viride</em> (EOV) against human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. IC₅₀ value of EOV on HL-60 cells was 0.087, 0.0503, and 0.034 µl/ml respectively at 6, 12, and 24 h. Several parameters were used to access the role of EOV in inducing apoptosis in human HL-60 cancer cells, including nuclear binding fluoroprobes, electron micrographs, DNA laddering, and annexin V-FITC/PI affinity assay. Quantification of BrdU incorporation was done to determine the degree of DNA damage. It was further determined that EOV has an effect on the DNA cell cycle and mitochondria, which was observed in the form of a prominent subdivision of G₀ peaks in the analysis of the DNA cell cycle, as well as a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential. A higher level of cytosolic cytochrome-c was associated with these events. Bcl-2 depletion and increase in ROS were also analysed. Both initiator caspases namely caspase-9 and -8 activated caspase-3 which eventually leads to apoptosis. These effects revealed that EOV has apoptosis inducing potential towards HL-60 cells and can be a promising candidate for further anticancer studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142527482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring therapeutic potentials of Tridax procumbens for Glioma: An in-silico approach employed network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation","authors":"Acharya Balkrishna ,&nbsp;Komal Devi ,&nbsp;Vedpriya Arya ,&nbsp;Anurag Dabas","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Glioma is a frequent type of malignant brain tumor, originating from glial cells. Despite advances in understanding the molecular biology and genetics of gliomas, the treatment of high-grade gliomas remains challenging. This study focuses on the identification of potentially active compounds from the medicinal plant <em>Tridax procumbens</em> for the treatment of glioma. Using computational approaches such as virtual screening, ADMET profiling, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics, ten potential phytocompounds were identified from a total of 106 compounds. Further analysis revealed a network of 170 common genes between the phytochemicals and disease genes, comprising 161 nodes and 2083 edges. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated that luteolin, quercetin, and 6-Hydroxyluteolin 6,3′-dimethyl ether 5-rhamnoside exhibited potential inhibitory activities against two targeted proteins, HSP90 and SRC. Luteolin with HSP90 protein and Quercetin with SRC protein complexes were found to be the highest in docking performance with the least binding affinities −10 kcal mol⁻¹ and −9.3 kcal mol⁻¹ respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations explored Quercetin-SRC and Luteolin-HSP90 interactions over 300 nanoseconds. Quercetin-SRC binding showed dynamic and flexible behavior with an RMSD, RMSF, and radius of gyration of 0.22 nm, 0.35 nm, and 2.12 nm, respectively, whereas Luteolin-HSP90 binding was more stable and less flexible, with an RMSD of 0.14 nm, RMSF of 0.14 nm, a radius of gyration of 1.74 nm, and maintained consistent strong interactions with specific solvent accessibility. The analysis of free binding energy in Quercetin-SRC and Luteolin-HSP90 complexes indicated highly favorable formation driven by altered interactions, with delta total values of −33.74 and −29.26 kcal/mol, respectively. Both phytochemical luteolin and quercetin showed strong inhibitory potential against HSP90 and SRC proteins, indicating their potential as effective therapeutic agent for glioma treatment. This integrated approach emphasizes the significance of these compounds in advancing treatment strategies for glioma. However, pre-clinical and clinical experimentations are required to establish the potential of <em>T. procumbens</em> as a treatment for glioma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142444638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering Cronobacter sakazakii pathogenicity: Exploring virulence factors and host interactions\": A short review","authors":"Nidhi Negi ,&nbsp;Nittan Sharma ,&nbsp;Harleen kaur ,&nbsp;Rajat Lallar ,&nbsp;Nitika Thakur","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.09.065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.09.065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Opportunistic human pathogen called <em>Cronobacter</em> spp. can cause severe illnesses in immunocompromised individuals and newborns. These species are mostly responsible for disorders like meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and bacteremia because they can survive in very dry foods like PIF and have also been identified in various environmental niches, including plants. These species' contamination is ascribed to biofilms, which are biotic or abiotic surface communities. Because they build biofilms on a variety of surfaces, identifying and eliminating them is extremely difficult. For the purpose of creating efficient treatment interventions and preventative measures, it is essential to comprehend the processes of virulence and the relationship between this pathogen and its host. A variety of virulence factors, such as adhesion factors, invasion proteins, biofilm formation components, and secreted toxins, contribute to <em>Cronobacter</em> spp. pathogenicity. Genes involved in capsule formation—such as those involved in exopolysaccharide synthesis—are essential to its pathogenicity because they are critical in desiccation resistance and resistance to host immunological defenses. Furthermore, genes that encode flagella, fimbriae, and outer membrane proteins are linked to host cell adherence and invasion. This review also explores the emerging link between Cronobacter spp. and plants, highlighting the bacterium's ability to survive and persist in the environment because Plants may act as reservoirs, contributing to the contamination of raw agricultural products, which can subsequently enter the food supply chain. Developing focused preventative measures and treatment approaches requires knowledge of the various biological as well as genetic factors that contribute to <em>Cronobacter</em> spp. virulence and how it affects the host. This review clarifies the effects of <em>Cronobacter</em> spp. on the host and investigates the genes linked to virulence in <em>Cronobacter.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142527682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of selenium and biochar nanoparticles in alleviating cadmium stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) examined via morphophysiological traits and organic acid exudation patterns","authors":"Mohammad K. Okla ,&nbsp;Sahar Mumtaz ,&nbsp;Sadia Javed ,&nbsp;Muhammad Hamzah Saleem ,&nbsp;Ibrahim A. Saleh ,&nbsp;Naser Zomot ,&nbsp;Yasmeen A. Alwasel ,&nbsp;Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud ,&nbsp;Muhammad Adnan ,&nbsp;Shafaqat Ali","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.10.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanotechnology is capturing great interest worldwide due to their stirring applications in various fields and also individual application of selenium (Se) and biochar nanoparticles (BC−NPs) have been studied in many literatures. However, the combined application of Se and BC−NPs is a novel approach and studied in only few studies. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted to examine various growth and biochemical parameters in wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) under the toxic concentration of cadmium (Cd) i.e., 50 mg kg⁻¹ which were primed with combined application of Se and BC−NPs i.e., 10 mg L⁻¹. Our results showed that the Cd toxicity in the soil showed a significant declined in the growth, gas exchange attributes and nutrient uptake in <em>T. aestivum</em>. However, Cd toxicity significantly increased oxidative stress biomarkers, organic acids, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants including their gene expression in <em>T. aestivum</em>. Although, the application of Se and BC−NPs showed a significant increase in the plant growth and biomass, gas exchange characteristics, nutrient uptake, enzymatic and non-enzymatic compounds and their gene expression and also decreased the oxidative stress and Cd uptake in different parts of the plant. These results open new insights for sustainable agriculture practices and hold immense promise in addressing the pressing challenges of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}