Abstract Background This study investigated the effects of inoculating Lactobacillus parafarraginis alone or in combination with citric acid on the silage quality, microbial community structure, and metabolic characteristics of hybrid Pennisetum. The experiment included three treatments: (1) addition of 10 ml distilled water (CON); (2) addition of 1 × 106 cfu/g L. parafarraginis (LP); (3) addition of 1 × 106 cfu/g L. parafarraginis and 1% citric acid (LCA). The fermentation was maintained at 25 ℃ for 60 days. Results The addition of L. parafarraginis increased the dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrates, and crude protein content of the silage and decreased the fiber contents. Moreover, lactic acid content was notably higher, and pH values were lower in the L. parafarraginis group, with higher lactic acid bacteria (LAB) compared with the CON. The microbial community analysis indicated that adding L. parafarraginis promoted the proliferation of beneficial LAB and inhibited spoilage bacteria, such as Clostridium. In the LCA, amino acid metabolism was improved, particularly with an increase in L-tyrosine concentration, along with significant enrichment of pathways related to tryptophan metabolism. Conclusions The addition of L. parafarraginis improved the fermentation quality of the silage, reduced undesirable microorganisms, and increased the content of organic acids, indicating its potential to enhance the flavor of the silage. Compared with individual treatments, the combination of L. parafarraginis and citric acid improved amino acid metabolism and enriched pathways related to tryptophan metabolism, further enhancing the quality of the silage. These findings highlight the potential of L. parafarraginis, especially in combination with citric acid, as an effective additive for producing high-quality, nutritious hybrid Pennisetum silage.
ABSTRACT Avocado (Persea americana) stands out as one of the most significant crops globally. Due to its abundance in essential nutrients and phytochemicals, its consumption and commercialization have notably surged in recent years. The interplay between genotype and environment profoundly influences fruit maturity dates and physicochemical attributes. This study aimed to assess the transcript levels of genes involved in hormone regulation and biosynthesis in avocado fruits, correlating their expression with the crop's physiological characteristics across varying altitudes during maturity and ripening stages. The study focused on five prevalent avocado varieties: Fuerte, Hass, Pinkerton, Lambhass, and Reed. Sixteen genes participating in diverse metabolic pathways and five hormones: Abscisic acid, Jasmonic acid, Salicylic acid, Gibberellic acid, and Zeatin were quantified over the harvesting season across seven locations in Lebanon. Results revealed a notable correlation between the expression of certain genes and hormone levels in the tested varieties, contingent upon both variety and location. Phytohormone quantification exhibited significant variations across locations compared to varieties. Additionally, physicochemical characteristics were evaluated, with principal component analysis demonstrating a positive correlation between some quantified phytohormones and maturity indices among varieties and locations. This study significantly advances our understanding of the intricate relationship among phytohormones, altitudes, fruit maturity, and ripening processes across five of the most common avocado varieties.
Agustina Yañez, Gonzalo J. Marquez, Olga G. Martinez
Este año se cumple el décimo aniversario del fallecimiento del Dr. Elías Ramón De La Sota, quien no sólo sentó las bases del estudio de los helechos y licofitas en Argentina, sino que fue un referente para la disciplina en toda América Latina. Por este motivo, propusimos a las autoridades de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica realizar un número especial a quien fuera nuestro maestro. A 10 años de su partida, es inspirador ver su legado plasmado en la calidad y cantidad de los artículos publicados aquí, reflejo fiel de las investigaciones llevadas adelante actualmente por los científicos y científicas de la región.
Ben Thuy, Mats E. Eriksson, Manfred Kutscher
et al.
Due to the fragility of the ophiuroid (brittle star) skeleton, the bulk of the group’s fossil record consists of dissociated ossicles preserved as microfossils. In spite of their great potential as basis for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies, however, ophiuroid ossicles from the Paleozoic have received very little attention so far. Here, we provide an exhaustive taxonomic assessment of such fossils retrieved from sieving residues from the Silurian of Gotland, Sweden. This material was used in a previous study to describe two key taxa that allowed constraining the origin of the extant ophiuroid clade. The remaining taxa belonging to that same lineage are described in the present paper. The evidence at hand suggests that the stem of the extant ophiuroid clade was formed by two genera, Ophiopetagno and Ophiolofsson gen. nov., including six and five species, respectively, and spanning at least the upper Llandovery through upper Ludlow. We conclude that Ophiopetagno and Ophiolofsson represent sister genera that coexisted through most of the Silurian in the shallow tropical seas of Gotland. They underwent repeated body size reductions in correlation with environmental perturbations, with Ophiopetagno paicei eventually giving rise to Muldaster haakei; the first member of the living Ophiuroidea. Herein, we also introduce two new clades, Ankhurida clade nov. and Ophiovalida clade nov., and the following eight new species: Ophiolofsson joelmciveri gen. et sp. nov., O. obituary gen. et sp. nov., O. immolation gen. et sp. nov., O. archspire gen. et sp. nov., O. hendersonorum gen. et sp. nov., Ophiopetagno bonzo sp. nov., O. kansas sp. nov., O. doro sp. nov.; and two probably new species in open nomenclature: Ophiopetagno sp. 1, and Ophiopetagno sp. 2.
Abstract The genus amaranth is comprised of 60–70 species. This climate hardy plant is grown as a vegetable as well as cereal crop in many areas of the world. Current study multivariate analysis was used to characterize the exotic vegetable amaranth genotypes. The experiment was conducted in the research area of Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan under RCBD design with three replications of 50 exotic amaranth genotype. 22 different variables were investigated for the principal component and cluster analysis using different software packages in R studio. According to the results of principal component analysis the first five PCs had eigenvalues greater than one and they explained the 84.59% diversity in exotic vegetable amaranth accessions. First two principal components explained 57.31% of variation. Traits that loaded highly for first PC include moisture (-0.892), carbohydrates (0.938), energy (0.920), stomatal conductance (0.803), net photosynthesis (0.795) and dry weight (0.770). The traits which impacted the second PC highly include protein (0.692), fat (-0.571), nitrogen (0.692), calcium (0.545), phosphorus (0.908), zinc (0.960), iron (0.826) and potassium (0.872). For future breeding program the selection based on these results will be effective for crop enhancement drive in exotic vegetable amaranth genotypes. Hierarchical clustering was done and dendrogram split the 50 genotypes into 5 groups using silhouette method. The pairwise clustering revealed that intra cluster distance is smaller than inter cluster distance. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster I and II (9.88); between cluster I and III (9.47); between cluster II and IV (9.27). Clinical trial number Clinical trial number not applicable.
Miriam del Valle Avila, Fernanda Achimón, Vanessa Daniela Brito
et al.
Most mealybugs of the Pseudococcidae family are important pests of agriculture and ornamental gardens. Our aim was to perform a review and meta-analysis on 14 published scientific articles on the insecticidal activity of essential oils (EOs) against mealybug species of the Pseudococcidae family. Data on (1) species, genus, families, and plant parts from which the EO was extracted; (2) the main compounds of each EO; (3) the highest and lowest concentrations tested; and (4) the application method used for the toxicological studies was collected from each study. The metafor package (R software) was used to perform a three-level random effects meta-analysis. The families Lamiaceae, Rutaceae, Myrtaceae, Zingiberaceae and Euphorbiaceae and the genera <i>Citrus</i>, <i>Cymbopogon</i>, <i>Syzygium</i>, <i>Cinnamomum</i> and <i>Jatropha</i> were the most used among the studies. According to the results from the meta-analyses, 13 out of 24 genera analyzed were effective against mealybugs. All methods were effective, but fumigation and indirect contact were the most frequently used methodologies. The results obtained from the present review and meta-analysis could be used for the potential development of natural biopesticide formulations against mealybugs belonging to the Pseudococcidae family.
Behnam Derakhshani, Habtamu Ayalew, Kohei Mishina
et al.
Crop cultivars with larger root systems have an increased ability to absorb water and nutrients under conditions of water deficit. To unravel the molecular mechanism of water-stress tolerance in wheat, we performed RNA-seq analysis on the two genotypes, Colotana 296-52 (Colotana) and Tincurrin, contrasting the root growth under polyethylene-glycol-induced water-stress treatment. Out of a total of 35,047 differentially expressed genes, 3692 were specifically upregulated in drought-tolerant Colotana under water stress. Transcription factors, pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase and late-embryogenesis-abundant proteins were among upregulated genes in Colotana. Variant calling between Colotana and Tincurrin detected 15,207 SNPs and Indels, which may affect protein function and mediate the contrasting root length phenotype. Finally, the expression patterns of five triads in response to water, high-salinity, heat, and cold stresses were analyzed using qRT-PCR to see if there were differences in homoeologous gene expression in response to those conditions. The five examined triads showed variation in the contribution of homoeologous genes to water, high-salinity, heat, and cold stresses in the two genotypes. The variation of homoeologous gene expression in response to environmental stresses may enable plants to better cope with stresses in their natural environments.
Iasmine Andreza Basilio dos Santos Alves, H. M. Miranda, L. Soares
et al.
The Simaroubaceae family includes 32 genera and more than 170 species of trees and brushes of pantropical distribution. The main distribution hot spots are located at tropical areas of America, extending to Africa, Madagascar and regions of Australia bathed by the Pacific. This family is characterized by the presence of quassinoids, secondary metabolites responsible of a wide spectrum of biological activities such as antitumor, antimalarial, antiviral, insecticide, feeding deterrent, amebicide, antiparasitic and herbicidal. Although the chemical and pharmacological potential of Simaroubaceae family as well as its participation in official compendia; such as British, German, French and Brazilian pharmacopoeias, and patent registration, many of its species have not been studied yet. In order to direct further investigation to approach detailed botanical, chemical and pharmacological aspects of the Simaroubaceae, the present work reviews the information regarding the main genera of the family up to 2013.
Purpose. To obtain Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Hack and Miscanthus sinensis Andersson in vitro culture by indirect morphogenesis.
Methods. Biotechnological procedures, mathematical and statistical analyses.
Results. Composition of nutrient medium was developed intended for induction of callusogenesis from Miscanthus seeds with a poor germination and viability of seedlings – Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was modified for the amount of macroelements (half-dose) that was supplemented with amino acids (300 mg/l of glutamic acid, 50 mg/l of aspartic acid, 5 mg/l of tyrosine, 3 mg/l of arginine, 2 mg/l of hydroxyproline) and plant growth regulators [2,5 mg/l of 2.4D (2.4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), 0,6 mg/l of BAP (6-Benzyl-aminopurine) and 0,3 mg/l of ABA (Abscisic acid)]. Composition of nutrient medium was developed for regeneration of microplants from callus – agar MS medium was modified for the amount of macroelements (half-dose) supplemented with vitamins: 10 mg/l of thiaminum, 1,0 mg/l of pyridoxine, 1,0 mg/l of nicotinic acid (by White), 1,0 mg/l of ascorbic acid, 250 mg/l of glutamic acid, 2,0 mg/l of BAP, 0,3 mg/l of NAA (Naphthaleneacetic acid). On this medium, 100% regeneration of M. sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Hack and 50% regeneration of M. sinensis Andersson was obtained. Due to media modification aimed at initiating callusogenesis and microplants regeneration, reproduction factor of M. sinensis was increased 20 times at the average, M. sacchariflorus – 35–40 times.
Conclusions. Plants of M. sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Hack and M. sinensis Andersson were obtained in vitro culture by initiation of callusogenes and microplants regeneration from the Miscanthus seeds with poor germination and viability on nutrient media of certain composition.
Alessandra Lanubile, Valentina Maschietto, Paola Battilani
et al.
The application of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains in maize fields has been shown to be an effective strategy for controlling contamination of aflatoxins, potent carcinogens produced by the fungus. This study monitored the expression levels of 18 defense genes against toxigenic and atoxigenic A. flavus strains in developing maize kernels over a time course of 96 h after inoculation. A stronger upregulation of genes encoding pathogenesis-related proteins, oxidative stress-related proteins, transcriptional factors and lipoxygenases were observed in response to the atoxigenic strain. On the other side, this strain showed a significant enhanced growth in the later stages of infection, measured as copy number of the constitutive calmodulin gene. These results suggest that overexpression of maize-defense-associated genes observed in response to the atoxigenic strain could contribute to an aflatoxin reduction. The identification of genes significantly affecting the resistance to A. flavus or aflatoxin accumulation would accelerate the development of resistant cultivars.
This paper explores two questions: (1) Which bigraded groups arise as the knot Floer homology of a knot in the three-sphere? (2) Given a knot, how many distinct knots share its Floer homology? Regarding the first, we show there exist bigraded groups satisfying all previously known constraints of knot Floer homology which do not arise as the invariant of a knot. This leads to a new constraint for knots admitting lens space surgeries, as well as a proof that the rank of knot Floer homology detects the trefoil knot. For the second, we show that any non-trivial band sum of two unknots gives rise to an infinite family of distinct knots with isomorphic knot Floer homology. We also prove that the fibered knot with identity monodromy is strongly detected by its knot Floer homology, implying that Floer homology solves the word problem for mapping class groups of surfaces with non-empty boundary. Finally, we survey some conjectures and questions and, based on the results described above, formulate some new ones.