Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology最新文献

Protein hydrolysates have emerged as potent enhancers of agricultural productivity, attributed to their nitrogen and amino acid richness. This study focuses on extracting keratin from sheep wool waste via water-based hydrolysis, aiming for eco-friendly alternatives to chemical methods. To refine this process, a novel response surface methodology integrating a Box-Behnken design (RSM-BBD) was devised, centering on temperature and hydrolysis time as pivotal factors affecting yield. Optimization yielded an impressive 99% w/v hydrolysis yield, with a fixed solid-liquid ratio (15:100 w/v) yielding 18.72 g/l of total nitrogen extraction. Analysis revealed a dominant presence of phenylalanine, noted for its role in plant water conservation. Agricultural trials demonstrated the hydrolysate's efficacy in enhancing maize crop physiology, evidenced by increased leaf surface area and fresh and dry plant weights across varied application rates. These results underscore the value of this innovative valorization process in agriculture. By harnessing keratin from sheep wool waste through water-based hydrolysis, the study proposes a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical techniques. The optimization of key parameters and subsequent positive impacts on maize crop physiology illustrate the potential of this approach to foster sustainable agricultural practices.

Heave metals have been a major reason for abiotic stress in rice plants affecting human being. Symbiotic relations between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the rice plant can help in reducing abiotic stresses primarily caused by the heavy metals. Because of its structural components, mycorrhizal fungi can effectively reduce the heavy metal concentration in the rice roots thus, withholding the translocation of the heavy metals to the leaves and grains. This phenomenon is a direct effect of mycorrhizal adaptation to abiotic stress regardless of the host plant's metabolism. Host plants in abiotic stress can utilize this mechanism, thus a progressive approach of ultilizing the mycorrhizal symbiosis. In the present work this has been elaborated through in-silico study of the protein-metal interactions during heavy metal absorption in plant root, also the efficacy of mycorrhizal fungi in the process of heavy metal stress bioremediation. From the docking scores, as observed in the interactions between the fungal protein (metallothionein, carboxyl estarase2) and the heavy metal, it is evident that the higher binding affinity of the fungal protein to the heavy metals reduces the metal accumulation by the rice plant leaving the binding proteins available to bind with the necessary salts. The comparison of binding affinity between the metal with plant protein and the fugal protein revealed in this work that, the binding affinity of the heavy metal with the fungal metal accumulating proteins is many fold more than the metal accumulating rice root proteins. This method of utilizing mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizospheric soil of the rice plant is promising enough to serve as a new technique in the bioremediation of heavy metals.

The excessive use and inappropriate application of synthetic pesticides on essential agricultural crops, intended to them from harmful pests, have resulted in severe environmental pollution. Additionally, the penetration of these toxic pesticide residues into the edible parts of plants has raised significant health concerns for humans and animals by developing respiratory problems, neurological disorders, and cancers. In response, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising alternative, enabling the development of highly reliable, minuscule nanoparticles (NPs) in size of 1–100 nm (nm) with diverse morphologies. These NPs offer an alternative approach to managing plant pathogens compared to traditional pesticides. Although various synthetic NPs have been produced using different elements, their persistence in plant tissues, soil, and water presents significant challenges. Conversely, the synthesis of biologically-derived green NPs, particularly those from bacteria, is considered a safer method for controlling plant pathogens. Bacteria-based green NPs are advantageous due to the rapid growth proliferation of bacteria and their resilience to extreme conditions. However, their synthesis and application remain limited, with scant research exploring against infectious plant pathogens. This study reviews recent literature on the synthesis of bacteria-based NPs, detailing their morphological, structural, chemical, optical, electronic, electrical, and magnetic properties, along with their thermal characteristics. By elucidating the mechanisms by which these NPs combat phytopathogens, this research provide crucial insight for future applications, enhancing our understanding of bacteria-based NPs research. The wealth of recent research on bacteria-based green NPs is anticipated to enrich future applications and deepen our understanding of this emerging field.

The study identified a set of species-specific SNPs (ssSNPs) distinguishing between American populations of Elaeis oleifera and African populations of Elaeis guineensis. These ssSNPs exhibited the expected proportions of E. oleifera and E. guineensis alleles in the first generation of E. oleifera and E. guineensis hybrids (OxGF1) as well as in backcross 1 (BC1) and backcross 2 (BC2) populations. Application of the ssSNPs across 12 natural Elaeis hybrids identified in the E. oleifera germplasm collection previously assembled from South and Central America revealed allelic proportions similar to OxGF1 and backcrosses (BC). Inbreeding coefficients (Fis) in the 12 natural hybrids were within the range usually found in OxGF1 and backcross hybrids, below the pure, wild oleiferas. In addition, phenotypic evaluation (pollen shape and leaf planation) of selected natural hybrids identified using ssSNPs confirmed that the observed morphology was generally similar to laboratory-bred OxGF1 and backcross populations. Introduction of E. guineensis for commercial purposes into the American oil palm collection is an active component of the hybrid breeding program and could have inadvertently resulted in natural hybrids in the germplasm collection. We also identified forty-four palms with high sequence polymorphism to be shortlisted for conservation, which can cumulatively preserve 90% of the diversity present in the E. oleifera germplasm collection.

Acid rain is regarded as one of the major concerns due to the release of sulfur-containing wastewaters from petrochemical and other allied industries. Biological desulfurization, an ecofriendly process offers no secondary pollution and allows for the recovery of elemental sulfur as a valuable product in a useable form as fertilizer and can be used as raw material in various industries. Therefore, this work explores the bio desulfurization potential of mixed microbial consortia that was isolated from various sources for the removal of sulfur containing compounds from synthetic wastewater at varying influent sulfide loading rate. Further, this study focused on optimizing the critical process parameters such as influent sulfide loading rate, ORP and pH to achieve maximum sulfur recovery. The experiments were performed at varying sulfide loading of 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 mg/L using the isolated mixed consortia at an ORP of −300 ± 20 mV and −360 ± 20 mV for an incubation period of 70 h. Results revealed that the isolated microbial consortia belong to the genera 73% Pseudomonas, 24% Alishewanella and 3% Zobellella. The maximum sulfide conversion efficiency to sulfite 309 mg/L, elemental sulfur 1152 mg/L and sulfate 1813 mg/L was exhibited by microbial consortia at an initial sulfide load of 6000 mg/L and ORP of −360 ± 20 mV.

We herein report a significant increase in sink strength and disease resistance in maize crop using copper-salicylic acid co-encapsulated chitosan nanofertilizer in seed treatment and foliar application. These chitosan nanofertilizer (0.01–0.16%) exhibited significant antifungal activity against post-flowering stalk rot (PFSR) in pot house [45.2–73.5% (mycelia growth) and 40.0–79.6% (spore germination)]. In field conditions, chitosan nanofertilizer (0.01–0.16%) effectively controlled the PFSR disease with PEDC (percentage efficacy of disease control) values of 68.6–93.8%. The results are evident with the significant improvement in defence enzyme activities namely phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, 4.9 fold increase) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO, 2.3 fold increase). Crop growth parameters namely plant height, ear height, cob weight, test weight, grain yield/plot and biomass were also significantly improved. The grain yield increased by 1.8 fold proving that up-regulated source activity is coupled with elevated sink strength. Overall, we claim that the developed chitosan nanofertilizer serves both as a fertilizer as well as a pesticide. The developed fertilizer has agricultural importance and could be tested for its potential use in other crops.

The oil palm fruit produces highly valuable edible oil from its fleshy mesocarp and seed. Aside from the palm oil and palm kernel oil of economic importance, the non-oil components of the oil palm fruit hold great potential as natural and sustainable products. Most studies focus on the molecular mechanisms regulating the oil palm lipid production and accumulation but little is known about secondary metabolism, specifically stilbenoids in the fruit tissues. This work aims to profile the proteomes and metabolomes of the exocarp, mesocarp, shell and kernel at the ripening stage and to identify the enzymes and metabolites associated with stilbenoid biosynthesis. From a total of 1964 proteins, the mesocarp and exocarp tissues were characterized by high abundance of proteins related to fatty acid, glycolysis and secondary metabolism. Proteins more abundant in the kernel and shell tissues were linked to storage and triacylglycerol synthesis. The enzymes directly involved in stilbenoid biosynthesis are 4-coumarate: coenzyme A ligase (4CL), hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) and trans-resveratrol di-O-methyltransferase (ROMT) which were highly expressed (p < 0.05) in the exocarp, mesocarp and shell tissues but not in the kernel. Trans-resveratrol was detected in the shell and mesocarp from comprehensive metabolome screening, with piceatannol in the shell, exocarp and kernel as well as trans-piceid in the exocarp. The oil palm fruit key proteins reveal tissue-specific cellular functions for primary and secondary metabolism in corroboration with the metabolome profiles, prospective for further quality improvement and optimum utilization of this rich resource.

In the past years, metal nanoparticles have received considerable attention in medicine and pharmaceutical science, especially in treatment, diagnosis, and drug delivery. The synthesis, stability, and production cost of these nanoparticles have always been challenging. Green synthesis is a biological and environmentally friendly method that overcomes many limitations of old methods of producing metal nanoparticles. Using fungi is one of the best choices for green synthesis due to the high secretion of enzymes and proteins, simple cultivation, and availability. Among them, endophytic fungi are of great importance. Fungal endophytes are mainly symbionts of plants that not only help the survival of the plant but also have significant potential in the field of natural products and act as small factories producing metal nanoparticles. In this review article, an attempt has been made to investigate the ability of the most common endophytic fungal genera to synthesize metal nanoparticles such as gold, copper, zinc, iron, etc. Furthermore, different methods for characterization of the physicochemical and biological properties of synthesized nanoparticles have been discussed.

The current research investigates for the first time, the antioxidant activity and chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) extracted from several samples dried stems for Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum (Ucria) Bég (F. vulgare) and Deverra scoparia Coss. & Durieu (D. scoparia). Twenty-seven volatile compounds were detected in F. vulgare. The main compounds were α-pinene (0.53–19.17%), myrcene (2.06–46.49%), δ-3-carene (0–12.56%), α-terpinene (0–12.79%), limonene (1.35–41.86%), cis-β-ocimene (0.32–8.35%), estragol (0.15–45.51%) and anethol (0.03–10.78%), while thirty-seven compounds were identified in D. scoparia, the major components were: α-pinene (0–33%), sabinene (1.93–19.99%) β-pinene (2.59–9.13%) δ-3-carene (0.04–10.39%) p-cymene (0.7–9.41%) limonene (1.9–14.33%), and α-terpinene (0.2–10.46%). The amount of monoterpene compounds in F. vulgare samples was more significant than in D. scoparia samples. However, the amount of sesquiterpenes was higher in D. scoparia samples compared to F. vulgare species. All samples exhibited antioxidant activity that was comparatively lower than that of vitamin E. Furthermore, the F. vulgare species revealed higher antioxidant activity than the D. scoparia species in both tested experiments. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that fenchone, n-hexyl iso-valerate, copaene, anethol, palmitic acid, α-terpineol, and estragol could be the main components contributing to the antioxidant capacity. These results demonstrate that these EOs could be alternative therapeutic agents for preventing oxidative stress-related pathologies.

Osteosarcoma weakens the bone by destroying tissue. It originates from immature bone cells, which typically give rise to new bone tissue. Medicinal herbs are a potential source for an extensive range of phytochemicals with anticipated anticancer activity. The present study was to form an impression of the medicinal herb Vachellia nilotica leaves extract and its fractions as a cancer therapeutic agent against Osteosarcoma cell lines (MG 63). This study used the MTT assay, DPPH, Cell cycle analysis, and Alizarin red S dye to investigate the effects of crude ethyl acetate extract and its fractions on viability, antioxidant capacity, and mineralization, respectively. To determine the pharmacokinetic properties of the discovered substances and assess their potential toxicity, computer-assisted analysis was performed.

The investigation reveals that fraction 1E considerably lowers the percentage viability of human osteosarcoma MG 63. The effect was shown in the dose and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, fraction 1E exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity and showed the least mineralizing activity after the treatment. Positive pharmacokinetic properties of the phytochemicals were observed, making them an excellent starting point for the development of drugs. Thus, the present study highlighted the potency of the V.nilotica ethyl acetate extract and its bioactive fractions against Osteosarcoma and their role in the cell cycle. The study also concludes the In-silico targeted proteins about the disease, which is the first time reported as per our knowledge and the literature available.