South African Journal of Botany最新文献

{"title":"Switchable hydrophilicity solvent/water emulsion-based extraction of polyphenols from grape skin","authors":"Lijin Zhang,&nbsp;Junjie Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this present study, switchable hydrophilicity solvent (SHS) was dispersed into water to induce the SHS/water emulsion for the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and enrichment of polyphenols from grape skin. The single factor experiment design, orthogonal experiment design and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) coupled with Box-Behnken Design (BBD) were successively applied to optimize the extraction. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: SHS of N,N-Dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA), DMCHA/water volume ratio of 1:1, liquid-solid ratio of 20 mL/g, ultrasound time of 24.93 min, CO₂ bubbling time of 120 min and CO₂ bubbling rate of 0.25 L/min. Compared to the ethanol-based UAE, the optimal DMCHA/water emulsion-based UAE not only gave a higher extraction yield (14.07%, 49.84% enhanced), but also exhibited the content differences of mono-phenols. Furthermore, the DMCHA/water emulsion-based UAE showed stronger antioxidant activity than that of the ethanol-based UAE. In addition to the low economic cost, low reagent residues and high DMCHA recovery, this proposed extraction method has been proved to be a promising alternative for industrial extraction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 60-67"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130180","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":"Genome-wide characterization of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) gene family in Phaseolus vulgaris L. of response to multiple abiotic stresses","authors":"Ebru Derelli Tüfekçi ,&nbsp;Bayram Tellioğlu ,&nbsp;Ahmed Sidar Aygören ,&nbsp;Esra Yaprak ,&nbsp;Emre İlhan","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study focuses on the importance of legumes, especially common beans (<em>Phaseolus vulgaris</em> L.) in human nutrition due to their high nutritional values such as protein, carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Additionally, the effect of abiotic stressors like drought and salinity on plant growth and development is covered, with a focus on the oxidative stress that results and the function of antioxidant defense mechanisms in reducing this harm. In particular, this study details the identification and analysis of 101 <em>ascorbate peroxidase (APX)</em> gene family members in the bean genome. These genes play a crucial role in plant defence against oxidative stress by scavenging hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The study also includes extensive bioinformatics analyses to determine the genes’ chromosomal locations, conserved domains, genetic structures, evolutionary relationships and expression patterns. RNA-seq data and qRT-PCR techniques were used to evaluate gene expression in different tissues and under abiotic stress conditions. According to the RNA-seq data, in the different tissues of common bean, expression levels of the <em>PvAPX-24, -30, -33, -53, -65</em>, and -<em>98</em> genes were higher while <em>PvAPX-2, -29</em>, and <em>-94</em> had low expression levels in these tissues. Additionally, under drought and salt stresses, expression levels of 6 genes (<em>PvAPX-30, -33, -37, -64, -78</em> and <em>-100</em>) increased under drought stress and 12 genes (<em>PvAPX-29, -47, -52, -65, -76, -78, -84, -85, -86, -97, -100</em> and <em>-101</em>) increased under salinity stress. The results of qRT-PCR shown that the expression levels of <em>PvAPX</em> genes had significant changes in different varieties and tissues. This comprehensive analysis is in agreement with findings from other plant species and reinforces the importance of <em>APX</em> genes in enhancing plant resistance to environmental challenges. Future research focusing on the functional validation of these genes will further elucidate their role and potentially aid in the development of stress-resistant crop varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 429-444"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130038","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":"Comparative analysis of nephroprotective effects of roasted and unroasted argan seed oils against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats","authors":"Nour Elhouda Daoudi ,&nbsp;Samira Mamri ,&nbsp;Mohamed Marghich ,&nbsp;Mohammed Aziz ,&nbsp;Hassane Mekhfi ,&nbsp;Ennouamane Saalaoui ,&nbsp;Mohammed Choukri ,&nbsp;Abdelkhaleq Legssyer ,&nbsp;Abderrahim Ziyyat ,&nbsp;Mohamed Bnouham","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Argania spinosa</em> seeds oil is an important endemic product of Morocco that is used traditionally as nephroprotective agent.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>Our study aims to compare the chemical compositions of unroasted (UnRoil) and roasted (Roil) <em>Argania spinosa</em> seed oils and their nephroprotective activity against gentamicin-induced kidney damage in <em>Wistar</em> rats.</div></div><div><h3>Experimental procedure</h3><div>The chemical contents of argan oil samples were analyzed by GC/MS analysis and the nephroprotective activity was assessed by administering gentamicin to <em>Wistar</em> rats. Biochemical and histopathological examinations were performed on the kidneys and the blood samples.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results illustrate the presence of four shared fatty acids, namely palmitic, stearic, linoleic, and oleic acids in both Roil and UnRoil, with comparable amounts. Additionally, the findings revealed that Roil contains a specific compound, heptadecane, 2,6-dimethyl-. Both the animals in Roil + Gentamicin and UnRoil + Gentamicin groups exhibited significant reductions in water intake, urinary volumes, food intake, and serum levels of creatinine, urea, urine sodium, and MDA compared to the gentamicin-treated group. However, urine urea, urinary creatinine, catalase, and glutathione levels exhibited significant increases. Moreover, the oils maintained normal left kidney weights compared to the gentamicin-treated group. Histopathological analysis supported these results, indicating that administering 2 ml/kg/day of UnRoil or Roil prevented significantly gentamicin-induced alterations in the glomerulus.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings confirm favorably the use of <em>Argania spinosa</em> in traditional Moroccan medicine as a nephroprotective agent. Interestingly, we observed that the roasting process of its seeds did not affect this pharmacological effect. This suggests a novel approach to harness the beneficial effects of a phytomedicine tailored for renal issues.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 100-108"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130072","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":"Tagitinin C- A potential anticancer agent from Tithonia diversifolia: A comprehensive review","authors":"B.C. Lalremruata ,&nbsp;P.C. Vanlalhluna ,&nbsp;Garima Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tagitinin C, an important sesquiterpene lactone derived from <em>Tithonia diversifolia</em>, has exhibited multiple biological actions. <em>T. diversifolia</em> is a widely used ethnomedicinal plant for treating a wide range of diseases due to its biochemical components, primarily sesquiterpenes. Treatments such as radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy employed on cancer patients have an impact not only on cancer cells but also affects normal cells. Despite the available conventional cancer treatments, phytocompounds based treatment less harmful and less toxic alternatives need to be explored. Tagitinin C, a sesquiterpene lactone has shown inhibition against various tumors and cancer cell lines. This review delves into the therapeutic effects of the bioactive compound Tagitinin C against different cancers and tumors and the future prospects in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. A Comprehensive study from scientific databases, such as Pubmed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Sci-Finder, etc., was scrutinized to collect the relevant information. Detailed insights on the mechanism of action and compound interaction with cancer cell lines were collated and presented. This review summarizes the pharmacological properties of Tagitinin C and the action potential as well.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 472-486"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130120","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":"How do pH reduction and the addition of potassium metabisulfite impact colour and the phenolic and anthocyanin profiles in red araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) wine?","authors":"Monnik Gandin Cavanholi,&nbsp;Bruna Rafaela da Silva Monteiro Wanderley,&nbsp;Maiara Arbigaus Bredun,&nbsp;Francisca Jamila Correia Louredo,&nbsp;Adriane Costa dos Santos,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Oliveira Costa,&nbsp;Vivian Maria Burin,&nbsp;Renata Dias De Mello Castanho Amboni,&nbsp;Carlise Beddin Fritzen-Freire","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effect of reducing the pH of the must and adding potassium metabisulfite at different stages of the process on the physicochemical parameters, color, phenolic composition, and antioxidant activity of red araçá wines. Six beverage formulations were prepared, three using the original pH of the pulp (pH 3.0) and the other three adjusting the pH to 2.8 with citric acid. Potassium metabisulfite (K₂S₂O₅) was added to all the formulations but at different stages: 100 mg.L⁻¹ in the pre-fermentation stage (MI), 50 mg.L⁻¹ in the pre-fermentation stage + 50 mg.L⁻¹ in the post-fermentation stage (MP), and 100 mg.L⁻¹ in the post-fermentation stage (MF). The primary organic acids in red araçá wine were citric, malic, glycolic, and lactic acid. The initial pH influenced the red coloration of the CIELab color scale, with more significant effects observed in wines with an initial pH of 2.8. The MI and MP samples with an initial pH of 2.8 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in the DPPH test, reaching 20.99 µM Trolox equivalent (TEAC).mL⁻¹ and 20.28 µM.mL⁻¹ TEAC, respectively. Fourteen phenolic compounds were identified in the red araçá wine, with gallic acid, catechin, and tyrosol being the main compounds. Furthermore, the results revealed that reducing the pH to 2.8 and adding 100 mg of K₂S₂O₅ in the pre-fermentation stage contributed significantly to a higher content of cyanidin-3-glucoside, aiding in preserving the beverage's reddish color. This study pioneered the production of fermented beverages from red araçá.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 251-263"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130179","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":"Ashwagandharishta compounds possess affinity interactions against diabetes-linked liver cancer: Implications from network pharmacology, molecular docking and dynamics simulations","authors":"Annadurai Vinothkanna ,&nbsp;Ligang Chen ,&nbsp;Ragothaman Prathiviraj ,&nbsp;Srinivasan Prabhu ,&nbsp;Rekha Thiruvengadam ,&nbsp;Thasma Raman Sivakumar","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ashwagandharishta</em> represents the Ayurvedic polyherbal fermented traditional medicine (FTM) and it contains <em>Withania somnifera</em> (L.) Dunal. is the principal herb. The present study employs network pharmacology analysis in identifying the single target Vs. multiple interacting partners in establishing the <em>Ashwagandharishta</em> as a potent inhibitory agent. The interacting phytoconstituents were assessed for target protein interaction patterns involved in diabetes-associated liver cancer. By GC–MS, 89 phytocompounds and derivatives of <em>Ashwagandharishta</em> were extracted, and 34 were scrutinized using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP). The present seqeuale corresponds to additional curation from DisGeNET and GeneCards databases. Seventeen phytocompounds and 169 targets were scrutinized for potential links between diabetes and liver cancer. Among the 17 compounds, seven exhibited increased binding affinities with target proteins that are mainly associated with diabetes and liver cancer. The target signaling interactions between diabetes and liver cancer were ascertained using Gene Ontology and KEGG databases. Retusine, stigmasterol, and 6,7-Isoquinolinediol, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-methyl exhibited significant hydrogen bonding interactions and affinity scores when docked with top hub genes. In molecular dynamics simulations, retusine-JUN bound complexes revealed potential stability at 200 ns. MM-GBSA results showed that thermal energy did not impact protein-ligand complex binding free energies, notably in MD simulated complexes, demonstrating strong ligand-protein interactions. The authenticity of bioactive compounds in <em>Ashwagandharishta</em> was analyzed for multiple protein target interactions. Moreover, the rational approach based on computational analyses will aid in concluding the molecular mechanisms backing the proven facts of FTM shortly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 26-49"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130229","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":"Unfolding the role of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) in inducing drought stress tolerance in Hordeum vulgare through modulation of root metabolic, nutritional, and hormonal profiles","authors":"Nadiyah M. Alabdallah ,&nbsp;Khansa Saleem ,&nbsp;Aisha Saud Al-Shammari ,&nbsp;Saleha S. AlZahrani ,&nbsp;Ali Raza ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ahsan Asghar ,&nbsp;Hafiz Hassan Javed ,&nbsp;Jean Wan Hong Yong","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.11.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought, a serious global issue and a threat to sustainable agriculture, causing crop inhabitation and hindering agricultural growth and development. Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are essential for growth and development of plants in the face of abiotic stressors. The present study investigated the impact of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO₂NPs) at the rate of 10 mg/L and 20 mg/L taken as (1-SiO₂NPs and 2-SiO₂NPs, respectively) on the morphological, nutritional, biochemical, hormonal, and the changes in metabolites alterations and/or modifications in <em>Hordeum vulgare</em> roots under three different levels of drought stress [75, 50, and 25 % filed capacity (FC)]. Furthermore, we tested hypothesis that i) drought stress affect the specific transporter proteins named NRT1, AMT1, PHT1, and HKT1 in barley roots causes nutritional imbalance, ii) SiO₂NPs application reduce the osmotic stress and nutritional imbalance improve the barley's overall growth, iii) N-R-T transporters work in collaboration with the growth hormones helps drought sensitive barley roots. The current results suggested that maximum damage to barley roots was occurred at 50 and 25 % FC while the exogenous 2-SiO₂NPs application substantially improved the biochemical processes, and metabolic activities, alleviated the oxidative stress by substantially reducing H₂O₂, OH^-, and MDA by 9, 12, and 17 % significantly enhanced the nutritional content including K⁺, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, and P up to 1.4-, 1.1-, 1.3-, and 1.5-fold of the barley roots under severe drought condition (25 % FC). The results also indicated that the nutrient transporters work in conjugation with the growth hormones such as tZR, tZ, and cZ showed an up-regulation of 97.9-, 8-, and 1.1-fold, whereas, ABA and JA derivatives showed an increment of 1.1-, 1.4-, 1.2-, and 1.4-fold (ABA, ABA-GE, JA, JA-Me), while the others e.g. IAA, IAA-Glu, IAA-GE, SA, GA3, and GA4 showed a slight reduction of 6, 24, 21, 6, 6, and 4 % under severe (25 % FC) water-deficit condition, respectively. Another finding of this research revealed that drought stress substantially reduced the Total Pro. content up to 12 and 20 % under both 50 and 25 % FC, while NRT1, AMT1, and PHT1 showed an inhabitation of 14, 20, and 15 % under moderate drought (50 % FC) whereas (26, 34, and 33 %) under severe drought conditions in <em>Hordeum vulgare</em> roots, respectively. On the other hand, HKT1 experienced a substantial rise (1.23- and 1.45-fold) under both the water stress conditions. Interestingly, SiO₂NPs application (20mg/L) ameliorated the negative effects of droughts and restored the nutrients transporter proteins in barley roots.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 397-410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130310","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":"In vitro and ex vivo evaluation of hydroalcoholic tobacco leaf extract as an anti-leishmanial agent against Leishmania major: A comparative study with Glucantime","authors":"Fariba Berenji ,&nbsp;Ghodratollah Salehi Sangani ,&nbsp;Rooshanak Salari ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Bagherpoor ,&nbsp;Mohaddeseh Askari Faregi ,&nbsp;Mojtaba Mousavi Bazaz ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Sadabadi ,&nbsp;Elham Poustchi ,&nbsp;Bibi Razieh Hosseini Farash","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Leishmaniasis, caused by protozoa of the genus <em>Leishmania</em>, remains a significant public health challenge, with <em>Leishmania major</em> as a predominant species in cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. Conventional treatments, including Glucantime, are hindered by drug resistance and adverse effects, highlighting the need for effective natural alternatives. This study investigates the in vitro and ex vivo anti-leishmanial effects of hydroalcoholic tobacco leaf extract (<em>Nicotiana tabacum</em>) against <em>L. major</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A 70 % hydroalcoholic extract of tobacco leaves was prepared and tested at concentrations of 12.5, 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL. In vitro assays evaluated promastigote mortality, while ex vivo assays assessed macrophage infection rates. Glucantime served as the positive control. Evaluations were conducted at 24, 48, and 72 h, with data analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The tobacco extract demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent reduction in promastigote mortality and amastigote infection rates. At 200 µg/mL, its efficacy was comparable to 100 µg/mL Glucantime, particularly after 72 h. Higher extract concentrations significantly reduced both parasite viability and macrophage infection rates, suggesting its potential as a potent anti-leishmanial agent.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Hydroalcoholic tobacco leaf extract shows promising anti-leishmanial activity in vitro and ex vivo, suggesting its potential as a natural alternative to conventional treatments like Glucantime. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore its use in leishmaniasis therapy, particularly in cases of drug resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 347-351"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130316","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":"Characterization of ABA- and drought-induced class A MebZIPs and their interacting proteins in cassava","authors":"Jian Zeng ,&nbsp;Liwang Zeng ,&nbsp;Chunlai Wu ,&nbsp;Zimo Pan ,&nbsp;Suyan Lin ,&nbsp;Xinfang Lei ,&nbsp;Feifei Huang ,&nbsp;Liangliang Xiong ,&nbsp;Wei Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The class A <em>MebZIP</em> genes have been confirmed to regulate the transcription of ABA-dependent genes carrying the ABRE <em>cis</em>-acting elements, thereby triggering ABA responses or environmental adaptation. However, there has been no research conducted on which class A <em>MebZIP</em> genes regulate cassava drought resistance through the ABA signaling pathway. Therefore, this study explores which class A <em>MebZIP</em> genes may regulate cassava drought resistance via the ABA signaling pathway.</div></div><div><h3>Methods and results</h3><div>In this research, class A <em>MebZIP</em> and <em>MeSnRK2</em> genes were re-identified from cassava. Although some changes were found in the gene counts and the number of amino acid residues, the overall changes were not substantial. <em>MebZIP5</em>, -<em>27</em>, -<em>34</em>, and -<em>67</em> showed consistent high expression across various tissues. Drought induced significant changes in <em>MebZIP27</em>, -<em>34</em>, -<em>49</em>, -<em>67</em>, and -<em>71</em>, particularly in roots. The <em>MeSnRK2</em> gene family, crucial in ABA signal transduction, exhibited high expression in all tissues. <em>MeSnRK2.1</em>, -<em>2.2</em>, -<em>2.3</em>, -<em>2.7</em>, and -<em>2.9</em> underwent significant changes in both roots and leaves during drought treatment. Expression analysis under ABA and simulated drought treatments revealed induction of multiple class A <em>MebZIP</em> genes and <em>MeSnRK2</em> family genes, especially <em>MebZIP67</em>. Two-yeast hybridization and bimolecular fluorescence complementation experimental results suggested that the ABA signal might transmit through <em>SnRK2.1</em> and subsequently regulate cassava drought resistance via <em>MebZIP67</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In summary, this study provided insights into ABA signal regulation of cassava's drought response through class A <em>MebZIP</em> genes, paving the way for further exploration of their role in cassava drought responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 517-526"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143129973","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":"Maize plant development and antioxidant defense influenced by selenium-enriched Cyanobacteria species","authors":"Dina A. Refaay ,&nbsp;Mostafa M. El-Sheekh ,&nbsp;Samia A. Haroun ,&nbsp;Amr M. Ayyad ,&nbsp;Hoda H. Senousy","doi":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Supplementing plants with selenium promotes their growth, production, and antioxidant activity. Se-enriched cyanobacteria can be utilized for biofertilization of food crops to boost their nutritional and health value. This study aimed to examine the impact of Se-enriched cyanobacteria on Maize's growth and antioxidant response (<em>Zea mays</em> L.). The present investigation examined how distinct <em>Trichormus variabilis, Nostoc oryzae, Anabaena</em> sp., and <em>Oscillatoria sancta</em> responded to selenium at different doses. The results showed that all cyanobacterial isolates failed to grow when exposed to Se &gt; 0.125 mM. <em>Anabaena</em> sp. and <em>Trichormus variabilis</em> were the only isolates to exhibit enhanced antioxidant properties when supplemented with 0.125 mM Se. The two isolates had the highest DPPH scavenging and total antioxidant activity at 0.125 mM Se, with IC₅₀ values of 235.613 and 319.567 µg mL^⁻¹, respectively, and 353.161 and 317.467 mg AAE g^⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, they showed the maximum activities of superoxide dismutase (11.14, 11.33 U/g, respectively), catalase (25.36, 33.29 U/g, respectively), and glutathione peroxidase (48.69, 51.55 U/g, respectively). Likewise, these two isolates revealed the best phenolic (35.51, 35.84 mg GAE g^⁻¹, respectively) and phycobiliproteins contents (590.47, 1229.32 µg mL^⁻¹, respectively), which led to their application on maize plants as biofertilizers to boost growth, and antioxidant response during the vegetative stage. The results show that maize shoots treated with <em>Anabaena</em> sp.-rich in selenium (T₅) exhibited the highest peroxidase (3.83 U/g), polyphenol oxidase (8.213 U/g), and catalase (132.703 U/g) activities. The highest DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀ 251.33 µg mL⁻¹) and total phenolic content (2.507 mg GAE g⁻¹) were observed in maize shoots following treatment with T₅. This study highlights the advantages of cyanobacteria, particularly <em>Anabaena</em> sp. supplemented with selenium, as a biofertilizer that could be a long-term, eco-friendly solution to biofortifying food crops with selenium.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21919,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Botany","volume":"177 ","pages":"Pages 487-499"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143130041","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}