This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Biological control of several plant diseases has been successfully achieved by the use of Trichod... more Biological control of several plant diseases has been successfully achieved by the use of Trichoderma harzianum strain T-22, which acts through chemiotropic mycoparasitic interactions with the target fungal or bacterial organism. Since this strain can colonize the roots of most plant species across a wide range of soil types, it is particularly important for agronomic purposes. On the other hand, the study on the effect of T-22 or its derived substances against plant viruses (e.g. Cucumber mosaic virus-CMV) and the pathogenic and molecular aspects involved in this kind of three-way cross-talk between the plant, virus and antagonist are very little known. Besides the use of T-22 as a biocontrol agent, it has been reported that this fungus can also directly improve root growth and plant development in the absence of pathogens. Several mechanisms have been proposed for this, such as production of some unidentified growth-regulating compounds by the fungus, the increased availability of nutrients for plants and induction of certain root morphological changes. All these findings indicate the versatility through which T-22 can directly increase plant tolerance against abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity and soils with low fertility. In spite of their theoretical and practical importance, the mechanisms responsible for the growth response due to the direct (growthpromoting) and indirect (antipathogenic) actions of T-22 in agronomic plants have not been investigated extensively. This chapter, based on the most significant and updated studies published in the last years by our research group, aims to contribute to a better understanding of the fundamental biochemical and physiological aspects of the antipathogenic and plant growth-promoting activities of T-22 on some economically important crops. This could promote a rational and non-empirical inclusion of this important fungal species into modern agricultural sustainable practices.
The feasibility of using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the prediction of ta... more The feasibility of using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the prediction of tartaric stability of wines was investigated (
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
... proccio ecodinamico (Figura 3), consente il superamento della vecchia dicotomia tra pianifica... more ... proccio ecodinamico (Figura 3), consente il superamento della vecchia dicotomia tra pianificazione economica e territoriale, orientando il decisore politico verso un'ottica ecologica in grado di integrare aspetti economici, ecologici e termodinamici, col fi ... (In corso di pubblicazione ...
Anti-scorbutic factor (Vitamin C), ascorbic acid, was isolated from paprika by A. Szent-Gyorgyi, ... more Anti-scorbutic factor (Vitamin C), ascorbic acid, was isolated from paprika by A. Szent-Gyorgyi, and its anti-scorbutic effect was confirmed in guinea-pigs (Biochem. J. 27: 278-285 (1933). Occurrence of anti-scorbutic factor in fruits, vege tables and adrenal glands of vertebrates had been deduced from their protective effects against scurvy. However, its isolation from either lemon or adrenal glands was a very heavy work in 1920-30, which required several tons (!) of the materials and several years, because of its low contents and disturbing components. In 1933, Szent-Gyorgyi in Szeged, Hungary, established a simple way for preparation of 450 g crystalline ascorbic acid within a month from local paprika (Hungarian red pepper, Capscicum annuum). This isolation was initiated by his finding of high reducing potentials in paprika juice, as deduced by disappearance of blue dibromophenolindophenol. Even in the current data book on food nutrients, the content of vitamin C in paprika is one of the highest ones among vegetables and fruits, indicating a sharp sense of Szent-Gyorgyi focusing to paprika as the starting material for the isolation of anti-scorbutic factor. In those days, a large amount of ascorbate was required for the determination of its structure, which was accomplished by W. Haworth in England. The revealed structure opened a gate to synthesize ascorbate, which was soon done by W. Haworth and T. Reichstein, independently. Thus, ascorbate is the first vitamin which is chemically synthesized. Based on these works and the following many works and surveys on the antioxidants in plants, World Cancer Research Fund (2007) recommended; "Eat at least five servings (total at least 400 g) of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and of fruits every day, to protect from cancer", as one of the personal recommendations for foods to escape from cancer. This is a very reasonable one considering that plants are always exposed to most stressful environments among organisms; strong sun light, highest oxygen concentration in leaf tissues, and low homeostasis in respects of temperature and other environmental factors. Thus, plants are expected to contain very effective antioxidants at high contents for survival under natural environments, therefore, both vegetables and fruits are very rich in the antioxidants which are able to protect DNA from ROS. Even though ascorbate isolated from plants has contributed so much to understand its nutritional effect for human, the physiological and biochemical functions of ascorbate in plants themselves have remained obscure for many years. In plants,
To date, almost no information is available in roots and shoots of the model plant Arabidopsis th... more To date, almost no information is available in roots and shoots of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. about the hierarchic relationship between metal accumulation, phytohormone levels, and glutathione/phytochelatin content, and how this relation affects root and shoot development. For this purpose, specific concentrations of zinc, alone or in triple combination with cadmium and copper, were supplied for two weeks to seedlings growing in a hydroponic system and using Petri dishes with a gradient of distances between germinating seeds and metal-contaminated agarized medium. Zinc accumulation was determined by anodic stripping voltammetry in plant tissues and digested agar samples, and a significant competition in metal uptake was observed. Microscopic and high-resolution scanning analyses revealed that root morphology was affected by metal exposure, with increases in root system total length and surface mainly due to the higher branching and number of lateral roots, accompanied by higher average root diameter. The confocal microscopy analysis of auxin accumulation and influx in the cells by the use of transgenic Arabidopsis lines (DR5:GUS, LAX3:GUS and AUX1:GUS) and the mass spectrometry of plant tissues revealed significant changes in auxin levels and accumulation in the seedling exposed to zinc alone or in combination. Real time quantitave PCR analysis of some genes involved in auxin and cytokinin synthesis showed on average a metal up- regulated transcription. The production of thiol-peptides was induced by zinc alone or in combination, but the expression of the genes involved in thiol-peptide synthesis was not stimulated by the metals, suggesting a full post-transcriptional control. Results show that the Cd/Cu/Zn-induced changes in root morphology are caused by a hormonal unbalance, mainly governed by the auxin/cytokinin ratio. The remodeling of the root architecture in response to zinc could be a pollution ‘escaping strategy’ aimed at seeking metal-free areas. The methods used and the results obtained by this model plant could be transferred to species with bioremediation or agronomic importance. Acknowledgments: This work was partly supported by a STSM Grant from Zinc-Net COST Action TD1304
Stepwise melting behavior for a series of primary long chain n-alkylammonium chlorides was pointe... more Stepwise melting behavior for a series of primary long chain n-alkylammonium chlorides was pointed out. A plastic phase, a smectic mesophase and a "clear" liquid possibly unisotropic were observed. The same trend seems to be common to other hydrocarbon molecules with ionic endgroups, including alkali metal n-alkanoates.
The occurrence of flash floods is a natural yet unavoidable occurrence over time. In addition to ... more The occurrence of flash floods is a natural yet unavoidable occurrence over time. In addition to harming people, property, and resources, it also undermines a country’s economy. This paper attempts to identify areas of flood vulnerability using a frequency ratio approach. The frequency ratio (FR) model was used to produce flood prediction maps for New Cairo City, Egypt. Using field data and remote sensing data, 143 spatial flooded point sites were mapped to build a flood inventory map. The primary driving criteria for flash floods were determined to be elevation, slope, aspect, Land Use Land Cover (LULC), lithology, stream distance, stream density, topographic wetness index (TWI), surface runoff, and terrain ruggedness index (TRI), in that order of importance. A flood susceptibility map (FSM) has been created using the FR model, which combines geographical flooded sites and environmental variables. Our findings from FSM, roughly a fifth of the city is very highly susceptible to floo...
The nutritional components of cantaloupe, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary... more The nutritional components of cantaloupe, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, contribute to overall health, improved immunity, hydration, and protection against chronic diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different concentrations (0 (control), 100, 150, and 200 ppm) of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (1-NAA) on the nutritional components of the cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. Var. Super White Honey). All the studied treatments were applied twice at the 2nd and 4th leaf stages. The applied concentrations of 1-NAA significantly improved the sex expression and fruit yield attributes. Different nutritional components like proximate contents, minerals, vitamins, selected fatty acids, and amino acids were analyzed. The results showed that the maximum moisture content, proteins, carbohydrates, ash, and energy were recorded with 100 ppm. The higher lipids were recorded during the supplementation of 150 ppm. Significantly greater fibers were re...
Background and aims Biostimulants of natural origin represent a growing ecological strategy to in... more Background and aims Biostimulants of natural origin represent a growing ecological strategy to increase crops productivity, especially when applied in combination with microbial bioeffectors. We studied the effect of biostimulants such as Potassium Humates (KH) from Leonardite and Compost Tea (CT) from green compost on both productivity and nutritional status of lettuce plants, as well as on the primary and secondary metabolism of treated plants, when amended either alone or in combination with a commercial microbial inoculum (M+), mainly based on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Micosat TabPlus). Results The biomass production as well as the uptake of both macro- and micronutrients by lettuce plants significantly increased when amended by the mixture of both humic materials (MIX) combined with the microbial inoculum. Similarly, the synergic MIX_M+ treatment significantly affected both the primary and secondary metabolism of lettuce more than their individual applications, by increasin...
Nowadays, oil pollution is one of the main environmental problems. The current methods for recove... more Nowadays, oil pollution is one of the main environmental problems. The current methods for recovering spills mainly involve chemical agents, but scientific research has focused on more natural and less harmful techniques for the environment, including a consortium of bacteria and microalgae to clean up water contaminated by hydrocarbons. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the ability of a microalga belonging to Chlorophyceae to grow in the presence of crude oil and remove the principal contaminants. H. pluvialis, which is usually used for nutraceutical purposes, thanks to the production of astaxanthin, was able to grow in anaerobic conditions, varying its metabolism from autotrophic to heterotrophic, exploiting the carbon present in the solution deriving from the presence of 1% of crude oil. Furthermore, the results of bioremediation showed a relevant reduction in chemical pollutants such as nitrate, fluoride, sulfate, and phosphate. The most important aspect of t...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Biological control of several plant diseases has been successfully achieved by the use of Trichod... more Biological control of several plant diseases has been successfully achieved by the use of Trichoderma harzianum strain T-22, which acts through chemiotropic mycoparasitic interactions with the target fungal or bacterial organism. Since this strain can colonize the roots of most plant species across a wide range of soil types, it is particularly important for agronomic purposes. On the other hand, the study on the effect of T-22 or its derived substances against plant viruses (e.g. Cucumber mosaic virus-CMV) and the pathogenic and molecular aspects involved in this kind of three-way cross-talk between the plant, virus and antagonist are very little known. Besides the use of T-22 as a biocontrol agent, it has been reported that this fungus can also directly improve root growth and plant development in the absence of pathogens. Several mechanisms have been proposed for this, such as production of some unidentified growth-regulating compounds by the fungus, the increased availability of nutrients for plants and induction of certain root morphological changes. All these findings indicate the versatility through which T-22 can directly increase plant tolerance against abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity and soils with low fertility. In spite of their theoretical and practical importance, the mechanisms responsible for the growth response due to the direct (growthpromoting) and indirect (antipathogenic) actions of T-22 in agronomic plants have not been investigated extensively. This chapter, based on the most significant and updated studies published in the last years by our research group, aims to contribute to a better understanding of the fundamental biochemical and physiological aspects of the antipathogenic and plant growth-promoting activities of T-22 on some economically important crops. This could promote a rational and non-empirical inclusion of this important fungal species into modern agricultural sustainable practices.
The feasibility of using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the prediction of ta... more The feasibility of using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the prediction of tartaric stability of wines was investigated (
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
... proccio ecodinamico (Figura 3), consente il superamento della vecchia dicotomia tra pianifica... more ... proccio ecodinamico (Figura 3), consente il superamento della vecchia dicotomia tra pianificazione economica e territoriale, orientando il decisore politico verso un'ottica ecologica in grado di integrare aspetti economici, ecologici e termodinamici, col fi ... (In corso di pubblicazione ...
Anti-scorbutic factor (Vitamin C), ascorbic acid, was isolated from paprika by A. Szent-Gyorgyi, ... more Anti-scorbutic factor (Vitamin C), ascorbic acid, was isolated from paprika by A. Szent-Gyorgyi, and its anti-scorbutic effect was confirmed in guinea-pigs (Biochem. J. 27: 278-285 (1933). Occurrence of anti-scorbutic factor in fruits, vege tables and adrenal glands of vertebrates had been deduced from their protective effects against scurvy. However, its isolation from either lemon or adrenal glands was a very heavy work in 1920-30, which required several tons (!) of the materials and several years, because of its low contents and disturbing components. In 1933, Szent-Gyorgyi in Szeged, Hungary, established a simple way for preparation of 450 g crystalline ascorbic acid within a month from local paprika (Hungarian red pepper, Capscicum annuum). This isolation was initiated by his finding of high reducing potentials in paprika juice, as deduced by disappearance of blue dibromophenolindophenol. Even in the current data book on food nutrients, the content of vitamin C in paprika is one of the highest ones among vegetables and fruits, indicating a sharp sense of Szent-Gyorgyi focusing to paprika as the starting material for the isolation of anti-scorbutic factor. In those days, a large amount of ascorbate was required for the determination of its structure, which was accomplished by W. Haworth in England. The revealed structure opened a gate to synthesize ascorbate, which was soon done by W. Haworth and T. Reichstein, independently. Thus, ascorbate is the first vitamin which is chemically synthesized. Based on these works and the following many works and surveys on the antioxidants in plants, World Cancer Research Fund (2007) recommended; "Eat at least five servings (total at least 400 g) of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and of fruits every day, to protect from cancer", as one of the personal recommendations for foods to escape from cancer. This is a very reasonable one considering that plants are always exposed to most stressful environments among organisms; strong sun light, highest oxygen concentration in leaf tissues, and low homeostasis in respects of temperature and other environmental factors. Thus, plants are expected to contain very effective antioxidants at high contents for survival under natural environments, therefore, both vegetables and fruits are very rich in the antioxidants which are able to protect DNA from ROS. Even though ascorbate isolated from plants has contributed so much to understand its nutritional effect for human, the physiological and biochemical functions of ascorbate in plants themselves have remained obscure for many years. In plants,
To date, almost no information is available in roots and shoots of the model plant Arabidopsis th... more To date, almost no information is available in roots and shoots of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. about the hierarchic relationship between metal accumulation, phytohormone levels, and glutathione/phytochelatin content, and how this relation affects root and shoot development. For this purpose, specific concentrations of zinc, alone or in triple combination with cadmium and copper, were supplied for two weeks to seedlings growing in a hydroponic system and using Petri dishes with a gradient of distances between germinating seeds and metal-contaminated agarized medium. Zinc accumulation was determined by anodic stripping voltammetry in plant tissues and digested agar samples, and a significant competition in metal uptake was observed. Microscopic and high-resolution scanning analyses revealed that root morphology was affected by metal exposure, with increases in root system total length and surface mainly due to the higher branching and number of lateral roots, accompanied by higher average root diameter. The confocal microscopy analysis of auxin accumulation and influx in the cells by the use of transgenic Arabidopsis lines (DR5:GUS, LAX3:GUS and AUX1:GUS) and the mass spectrometry of plant tissues revealed significant changes in auxin levels and accumulation in the seedling exposed to zinc alone or in combination. Real time quantitave PCR analysis of some genes involved in auxin and cytokinin synthesis showed on average a metal up- regulated transcription. The production of thiol-peptides was induced by zinc alone or in combination, but the expression of the genes involved in thiol-peptide synthesis was not stimulated by the metals, suggesting a full post-transcriptional control. Results show that the Cd/Cu/Zn-induced changes in root morphology are caused by a hormonal unbalance, mainly governed by the auxin/cytokinin ratio. The remodeling of the root architecture in response to zinc could be a pollution ‘escaping strategy’ aimed at seeking metal-free areas. The methods used and the results obtained by this model plant could be transferred to species with bioremediation or agronomic importance. Acknowledgments: This work was partly supported by a STSM Grant from Zinc-Net COST Action TD1304
Stepwise melting behavior for a series of primary long chain n-alkylammonium chlorides was pointe... more Stepwise melting behavior for a series of primary long chain n-alkylammonium chlorides was pointed out. A plastic phase, a smectic mesophase and a "clear" liquid possibly unisotropic were observed. The same trend seems to be common to other hydrocarbon molecules with ionic endgroups, including alkali metal n-alkanoates.
The occurrence of flash floods is a natural yet unavoidable occurrence over time. In addition to ... more The occurrence of flash floods is a natural yet unavoidable occurrence over time. In addition to harming people, property, and resources, it also undermines a country’s economy. This paper attempts to identify areas of flood vulnerability using a frequency ratio approach. The frequency ratio (FR) model was used to produce flood prediction maps for New Cairo City, Egypt. Using field data and remote sensing data, 143 spatial flooded point sites were mapped to build a flood inventory map. The primary driving criteria for flash floods were determined to be elevation, slope, aspect, Land Use Land Cover (LULC), lithology, stream distance, stream density, topographic wetness index (TWI), surface runoff, and terrain ruggedness index (TRI), in that order of importance. A flood susceptibility map (FSM) has been created using the FR model, which combines geographical flooded sites and environmental variables. Our findings from FSM, roughly a fifth of the city is very highly susceptible to floo...
The nutritional components of cantaloupe, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary... more The nutritional components of cantaloupe, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, contribute to overall health, improved immunity, hydration, and protection against chronic diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different concentrations (0 (control), 100, 150, and 200 ppm) of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (1-NAA) on the nutritional components of the cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. Var. Super White Honey). All the studied treatments were applied twice at the 2nd and 4th leaf stages. The applied concentrations of 1-NAA significantly improved the sex expression and fruit yield attributes. Different nutritional components like proximate contents, minerals, vitamins, selected fatty acids, and amino acids were analyzed. The results showed that the maximum moisture content, proteins, carbohydrates, ash, and energy were recorded with 100 ppm. The higher lipids were recorded during the supplementation of 150 ppm. Significantly greater fibers were re...
Background and aims Biostimulants of natural origin represent a growing ecological strategy to in... more Background and aims Biostimulants of natural origin represent a growing ecological strategy to increase crops productivity, especially when applied in combination with microbial bioeffectors. We studied the effect of biostimulants such as Potassium Humates (KH) from Leonardite and Compost Tea (CT) from green compost on both productivity and nutritional status of lettuce plants, as well as on the primary and secondary metabolism of treated plants, when amended either alone or in combination with a commercial microbial inoculum (M+), mainly based on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Micosat TabPlus). Results The biomass production as well as the uptake of both macro- and micronutrients by lettuce plants significantly increased when amended by the mixture of both humic materials (MIX) combined with the microbial inoculum. Similarly, the synergic MIX_M+ treatment significantly affected both the primary and secondary metabolism of lettuce more than their individual applications, by increasin...
Nowadays, oil pollution is one of the main environmental problems. The current methods for recove... more Nowadays, oil pollution is one of the main environmental problems. The current methods for recovering spills mainly involve chemical agents, but scientific research has focused on more natural and less harmful techniques for the environment, including a consortium of bacteria and microalgae to clean up water contaminated by hydrocarbons. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the ability of a microalga belonging to Chlorophyceae to grow in the presence of crude oil and remove the principal contaminants. H. pluvialis, which is usually used for nutraceutical purposes, thanks to the production of astaxanthin, was able to grow in anaerobic conditions, varying its metabolism from autotrophic to heterotrophic, exploiting the carbon present in the solution deriving from the presence of 1% of crude oil. Furthermore, the results of bioremediation showed a relevant reduction in chemical pollutants such as nitrate, fluoride, sulfate, and phosphate. The most important aspect of t...
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