New species of Cercosporoid on Mango in Thailand

A survey of fungal pathogens associated with cane tibouchina, Tibouchina herbacea (Melastomataceae), was conducted in the neotropics, concentrated in south and southeastern Brazil and aimed at finding potential biological control agents for this herbaceous invasive weed for introduction into Hawaii. Numerous fungal species were found, including five cercosporoid fungi. Four new taxa are described and illustrated here: Passalora tibouchinae, Pseudocercospora subsynnematosa, Pseudocercospora tibouchina-herbaceae and Pseudocercospora tibouchinicola. A phylogenetic analysis of the ITS and TEF-1α regions of the three new species of Pseudocercospora was conducted and confirmed their separation as distinct taxa as indicated by morphological and cultural features. Additionally, Cercospora apii is reported for the first time on T. herbacea. Among the species of fungi described in this study, two appear particularly promising for use in a biological control program because they were found to cause severe disease on T. herbacea: Passalora tibouchinae and Pseudocercospora subsynnematosa. Additional tests, including host-specificity screening, will be required in order to confirm this potential.

In recent years, common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) and cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) plants in the north of Iran have exhibited symptoms resembling Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) disease. This study was initiated to elucidate the taxonomy and pathogenicity of cercosporoid taxa associated with leaf spot diseases of these two legume crops in Iran. A total of 138 samples with CLS symptoms were collected from cultivated common bean and cowpea species in northern Iran and subjected to microscopic examination, resulting in identification of 98 Cercospora and 59 Pseudocercospora samples. A six‐locus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, actA , tef1 , gapdh , his3 , and cmdA ) coupled with examination of the morphology of 42 representative isolates from these samples confirmed that several cercosporoid fungi occur on common bean and cowpea in Iran. Five Cercospora species ( C . iranica , C . cf. flagellaris , Cercospora sp. G, Cercospora sp. T, and C . vignigena ) and two Pseudocercospora species ( P . griseola f. griseola and P . cf. cruenta ) were found; of these, C . cf. flagellaris was the dominant species, occurring on both common bean and cowpea. Pathogenicity tests confirmed that all seven species could infect leaves of common bean and/or cowpea. This is the first report of C . iranica , Cercospora sp. G, and Cercospora sp. T associated with common bean and/or cowpea in the world. In addition, C . vignigena was recorded for the first time in Iran. Results achieved in this study will assist strategies for the management of CLS disease of common bean and cowpea.

Metabolic annotation, interactions and characterization of natural products of mango (Mangifera indica L.): 1H NMR based chemical metabolomics profiling

Lonicera vidalii Franch. & Sav. (family Caprifoliaceae) is a native tree in Korea and Japan. It is a rare deciduous tree of the forest community, mainly occurring in the southern part of Korea. In September 2017, leaf spots on trees, typical symptoms caused by cercosporoid fungi, were observed in Hongneung Arboretum, Seoul, Korea (37°35′37″N, 127°02′38″E). Initial symptoms presented as orbicular to irregular, pale- to dark-brown leaf spots typically 0.2 to 0.9 cm in diameter, which in some cases merged to form larger blotches across the surface of mature leaves. At infection sites, septate, branched, hyaline to pale brown, smooth, and 2 to 2.5 μm wide hyphae of the fungus were seen emerging through the stomata at the adaxial leaf side. Stromata were large and well-developed, globular, olivaceous brown, 30 to 50 µm in diameter, and emerging through stomatal openings. Conidiophores were aggregated in loose to dense fascicles through stomatal openings, subcylindrical, proliferating sympodially, straight to slightly geniculate, one- to four-septate, 15 to 53 × 3.5 to 5.5 μm, and smooth. Conidiogenous cells were terminal, cylindrical, proliferating sympodially, and 12.5 to 27 × 3.5 to 5.5 μm. Conidia were solitary, guttulate cylindrical to narrowly obclavate, straight to mildly curved, obtuse to rounded at the apex, one- to four-septate, variable in length, and 19 to 97 × 2 to 4 μm. Three monoconidial isolates were deposited in the culture collection (CDH) of the National Institute of Forest Science, Korea (CDH2017-15 to CDH2017-17). To ensure the identity of the fungus, genomic DNA was extracted, and sequence comparisons were made based on the partial nucleotide sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA, translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1α), actin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), using the respective primer pairs ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, and RPB2-5f2/fRPB2-7cR (Nakashima et al. 2016). The sequences obtained were deposited in GenBank (MG712852 to MG712854, MG712861 to MG712863, MG712858 to MG712860, and MG930772 to MG930774, respectively). For a phylogenetic analysis, sequences from different gene regions (ITS, EF-1α, actin, and rpb2) obtained from GenBank were aligned, concatenated, and analyzed as a single dataset based on a maximum likelihood analysis. This Korean cercosporoid fungus was positioned in a clearly distinct lineage, provisionally representing an undetermined species of Pseudocercospora, which is closest to Pseudocercospora stephanandrae (Tak. Kobay. & H. Horie) C. Nakash. & Tak. Kobay., MUCC 914 (NR 111469 in ITS, GU384526 in EF-1α, GU320516 in actin, and KX462658 in rpb2). Sequence comparisons revealed that this Korean pathogen differed from P. stephanandrae at 4 of 477 characters (∼1.0%) in the ITS, 3 of 294 (∼1.0%) in the EF-1α, 4 of 190 (∼2.1%) in the actin, and 43 of 686 (∼6.3%) in the rpb2 sequences. In addition, this Korean pathogen is morphologically distinct from P. stephanandrae by having larger stromata as well as longer conidiophores and conidial size (Nakashima and Kobayashi 2000). Based on morphology and molecular analyses, the fungus was tentatively identified as Pseudocercospora sp. (Guo and Hsieh 1995; Nakashima et al. 2016). Pathogenicity was demonstrated by hyphal suspensions from 15-day-old cultures onto leaflets of L. vidalii and then maintaining them in a growth chamber (22°C and 80% relative humidity). Controls were treated with sterile water. Distinct leaf spot symptoms on the inoculated leaflets were developed, and the controls remained symptomless. The pathogen, recovered from symptomatic leaflets, was morphologically identical to those observed in the field. Lonicera-Pseudocercospora associations were recorded in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, New Zealand, and Brazil. However, the leaf spot infection associated with Pseudocercospora sp. on L. vidalii has not been recorded worldwide (Farr and Rossman 2017). This is the first report of leaf spot caused by Pseudocercospora sp. on L. vidalii globally as well as in Korea. The disease poses a threat to ornamental plantings and naturally growing plants of Lonicera spp. in Korea.

Background: Helicanthus elastica (Desr.) Danser (Loranthaceae) is less‑known Indian medicinal mistletoe growing commonly on mango trees as hemiparsites. It is used to prevent abortion, in vescical calculi and kidney affections. These groups of plants are medicinally important as they are potential sources of anticancer, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial and antioxidant molecules. Materials and Methods: In the current study whole plant of H. elastica growing on mango trees is collected and subjected for physicochemical and nutraceutical analysis aiding standard methodology. The total ethanolic extract was fingerprinted with HPLC‑UV. Results: Parameters like moisture content, total ash, water‑soluble ash, acid‑insoluble ash, alcohol‑soluble and water‑soluble extractive, successive extractive values by cold and hot extraction, heavy metals like arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, total bacterial count, total fungal count, presence of enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were tested under the head physicochemical examination. Determination of carbohydrate, fat, protein and fiber, calorific value, vitamins like niacinamide, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamine and ascorbic acid, trace elements like iron and zinc were estimated. Conclusion: The physicochemical tests are used as parameters for routine analysis and quality control of the plant. The investigations revealed appreciable quantity of important vitamins and trace elements in the plant. The HPLC‑UV fingerprint would be an efficient tool for the standardisation and quality control of the mistletoe extract. Key words: Helicanthus elastica, hemiparsites, HPLC-UV fingerprint, mango mistletoe, nutraceutical composition

The study was carried out on 72 mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars and 107 mango F1 hybrids to group them based on degree of resistance to malformation during the period 2015-17. Intensity of malformation varied significantly among the mango cultivars and F1 hybrids under study. Out of 72 mango cultivars and 107 F1 hybrids studied, only three cultivars namely Bhadauran, Ilaichi and Arka Nilanchal were found to be completely free from the mango malformation disease (0%) and were categorised as resistant. Minimum disease incidence (<10%) was recorded in 11 mango cultivars, one mango species and in eight mango F1 hybrids, viz. H-2-6, H-2-14, H-3-6, H-4- 10, H-5-14, H-8-4, H-8-2. and H-8-11 and were categorized as tolerant. Twelve mango cultivars and 21 mango F1 hybrids were moderately susceptible (10-20%), while another 27 cultivars and 43 F1 hybrids were susceptible (20- 50%). The highest incidence of floral malformation intensity was recorded in 13 cultivars and 32 F1 hybrids which were categorized as highly susceptible (>50%) to mango malformation. The resistant and tolerant cultivars and F1 hybrids observed in the current study can be used as parents in future breeding programmes for developing a variety resistant to mango malformation.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is widely grown as an agroforestry tree in different parts of the world especially in Ethiopia. However, its dense canopy and expected allelopathic effect make it very difficult to survive for many of the associated crops grown under it. Therefore, current study was undertaken with the main objective to investigate the allelopathic and shading effects of mango on the germination and early growth performance of food crops and medicinal plants. Leaf extract of mango was tested to find out its inhibitory or stimulatory effect on maize, pea nut and haricot bean with varying concentration of extracts (0, 10, 15 and 20%) at lab and pot study. Results of the study witnessed the inhibitory effects of its extract on germination and early growth performance of cereal and pulse crops for most of the parameters studied. However, severity of inhibition was more pronounced with increase in concentration of the extract. Similarly, shading intensity of mango tree on two Hibiscus varieties WG-H Jamaica and WG-S were tested at a certain canopy distances (1/3rd, 1/2 and at tree periphery) from the bole of mango tree. Results reflect the increase in growth performance of both the varieties with increase in canopy distances from the bole of the tree probably due to better transmission of light. It is recommended that Hibiscus varieties should not be planted at the very closest distance from the mango trees stem due to allelopathic and shading effects, respectively. Key words: Allelopathic, bioassay, inhibition, leaf extract, Mangifera indica, shading effect.

Common garlic (Allium sativum L.) has potent Anti-Bacillus anthracis activity

Pectin is an essential polysaccharide that is normally found in the peels of various fruits and vegetables. It acts as a gelling agent and stabilizer in many foods and pharmaceutical industries. The current study was focused on the potential of mango peel as a source of pectin. The pectin was isolated from mango (Mangifera Indica) peels powder in the hot water bath at five different extraction conditions viz. temperatures (60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 °C), pH (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0) and time (60, 80, 100, 120 and 140 min). At different extraction conditions, the yield of pectin ranged between 14.60 and 28.42%. The highest yield condition was achieved (28.06%, 28.42% and 28.06%) at the temperature of 90 °C, 1.5 pH, and the extraction time of 120 min. The quality parameters of pectin such as equivalent weight (450.45 to 1324.24 g), methoxyl content (5.15 to 7.90%), anhydrouronic acid content (48.93 to 74.62%), and degree of esterification (43.28% to 77.14%), were found in satisfactory level. In contrast, the soluble sugar content was higher (12.43 to 23.49%), the anhydrouronic acid (AUA) content was low as compared to the existing data for various pectin sources. This is an indication of the existence of protein in the extracted pectin. The mango peel powder was applied in the jelly formulation at different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) to identify the quality and the sensory characteristics. The sensory attributes (e.g., color, taste, appearance and flavor) was highly appreciable at 1% pectin concentration compared to other concentration of pectin. The created polynomial model efficiently accounted for the data fluctuation and accurately captured the actual correlation between the independent and dependent variables. The extraction temperature, pH, and time had a substantial impact on the yield and quality of the extracted pectin, according to the results of both single factor studies and RSM. The optimal conditions were determined from the optimization research to be 88.86 °C, pH 1.36, and 79.61 min, which produced 23.31% pectin. Lastly, the manufacturer will be able to get information regarding the quality of mango peel pectin. It can be utilized as an important source of pectin for application in food and pharmaceutical industries.

The continuous addition of phosphorus (P) fertilizers above plant requirements increases P loss risks, especially if such fertilization practices continue long-term. The current study aims to determine the threshold value of P in plants and soil, which achieves the maximum mango fruit yield without P loss risk. P fertilizer doses (0–240 g tree−1) were added to 12-year-old mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv Hindy planted in sandy soil for four consecutive years. Soil and plant samples were collected each year to estimate the critical p values by linear–linear, quadratic, and exponential models. The relationships between fruit yield and available soil P were positive and significant in all the mathematical models. Mango fruit yield is expected to reach its maximum value if the sandy calcareous soil contains an available P amount ranging between 10–12 mg kg−1 and increasing the soil available P above this level leads to negligible increases in the fruit yield. Increasing the available soil P above 20.3 mg kg−1 increases P-loss risk. P concentrations in blades and petioles of mango leaves can be arranged as follows: beginning of the flowering stage > the full blooming stage > beginning of the fruiting stage. The analysis of petioles of mango leaves in the beginning of the flowering stage significantly corelated with mango fruit yield and can be used in predicting the response of mango to P fertilization. The findings of the present investigation revealed that the critical P in mango petioles ranged between 2.34 and 3.53 g kg−1. The threshold of available soil P for maximum fruit yield is half of P loss risks. The combined analysis of soil and plants is a powerful diagnostic tool for P management in sandy degraded soil. The findings of the current study are a good tool in achieving the optimum utilization of P fertilizer resources in maximizing mango fruit yield and reducing the risks of environmental pollution that result from excessive fertilization doses.

Mango (Mangifera indica) fruit is known for its taste, health benefits, and drought tolerance. Potassium (K+) is one of the most abundant ions in a plant cell. It is important for various biological functions related to plant growth, development, and flowering/fruiting. It significantly contributes to fruit yield, quality, and drought tolerance in plants. However, molecular mechanisms comprising K+ transport in mango are least known. In the present study, 37 members of K+ transport-related genes (PTGs) were identified in mango, which include 22 K+ transporters (16 HAKs, 1 HKT, and 6 KEAs) and 15 K+ channels (6 TPKs and 8 Shakers). All PTGs were predicted to be expressed at the plasma membrane and possess characteristic motifs and domains. Phylogenetic analysis identified a strong kinship of PTGs among Oryza sativa, Arabidopsis thaliana, Cicer arietinum, Malus domestica, and M. indica. The promoter analysis identified 60 types of cis-elements related to various biological processes. RNA-seq-based expression profiling identified that MiTPK1.2, MiHAK1, MiHAK2.1, HAK6.1, and MiAKT1.1 were most upregulated in roots and that MiKEA2, MiAKT2, and MiAKT1 were upregulated in leaves. Moreover, MiAKT6, MiHAK1.1, MiKAT2, MiKAT2.1, MiHKT1, MiTPK1.1, MiHAK7, and MiHAK12 were highly expressed during the five growth stages of mango fruit. The current study is the first comprehensive report on K+ transport system in tropical fruits. Therefore, it will provide the foundation knowledge for the functional characterization of K+ genes in mango and related plants.

Mango kernel fat (MKF) that is high in monounsaturated triacylglycerols is a potential cocoa butter alternative. This study aimed to investigate the yield and physicochemical properties of Dragon variety (Mangifera indica L.) MKF is extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide and Soxhlet. The fatty acid constituent, triacylglycerol constituent, melting and crystallization behavior, and solid fat content (SFC) were analyzed using gas chromatography, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The yield was 6.59%–9.65% depending on temperature, pressure, and time. Physicochemical properties for both techniques were comparable. The MKF contained higher levels of stearic acid (primarily StOSt, 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol) with extraction conditions of 72°C, 30 MPa, and 3 h. Melting and crystallization peaks ranged from 9.84 to 39.13°C and 16.69 to −11.23°C, respectively. SFC was zero between 40 and 45°C. The high StOSt content can aid in fractionation and demonstrates potential in making heat-resistant fat for use in confectioneries. Novelty impact statement The current study investigated the effect of different extraction techniques and conditions on the percentages of fat yield of the Dragon variety mango kernel (Mangifera indica L.), a by-product of the fruit industry, which has not been previously studied. The highest percentage of fat yield was 9.65% ± 1.1 at 60°C, 30 MPa and 4 h where the yield was comparable and yet was achieved at more energy-efficient extraction conditions than in previous studies. The current study provides a better understanding of the physicochemical properties of Dragon variety mango kernel fat for various food applications.

Photo-microbes are well known to demolish rice and fruits, as farmers use chemical pesticides to overcome agricultural problems and economic damage. The use of pesticides in agriculture fails to protect crops in lower concentrations and increases the intake of chemicals that cause many human ailments. The sophisticated nanotechnology approach used in agriculture for antimicrobial activities offers several advantages for growth and improves nutrient absorption in plants. We report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Azadirachta indica (A. indica) and Mangifera indica (M. indica) tree leaf extract that contains antioxidants to treat numerous diseases. AgNPs tested against three plant pathogens, fungi Alternaria alternata (A. alternata), Sclerotium rolfsii (A. rolfsii), and bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae (X. oryzae), which leads to agricultural problems. The experiment was performed with different concentrations of AgNPs in μL/mL prepared using two other plants extract against fungi and bacteria during summer. The results expose the importance of plant extract in synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their efficacy for microbes. A comparison among different concentrations of AgNPs (4 μL/mL, 6 μL/mL, and 10 μL/mL) was performed for two fungi (tomato disease) and bacteria (rice leaf blight disease). A-AgNPs (A. indica-AgNPs) demonstrate a greater zone of inhibition than M-AgNPs (M. indica-AgNPs), further highlighting the dependence of plants. Under in vitro conditions, the results of the antifungal activity showed zones of inhibition of 21 mm against A. alternata and 17 mm against A. rolfsii, while antibacterial activity against X. oryzae bacteria showed a 15 mm zone of inhibition at 10 mg/mL for A-AgNPs, and less for M-AgNPs. For AgNPs, the antifungal activity was characterized bya more significant area of inhibition than antibacterial activity was. The current study indicates that AgNPs with lower concentrations exhibitsuperior toxicity to microbes and may be able to manage diseases in rice and tomato, and increase plant growth.

Quick decline is one of the deadly diseases of mango (Mangifera indica) which causes a serious damage to the tree and its production. In the current study, we examined the levels of important phytochemicals and minerals in the stem bark of healthy and infected mango tree. Infected stem bark showed 12.5% lower levels of total sugars and 51.1% higher levels of proteins as compared to healthy parts, whereas no variation was observed in reducing sugar, free amino acid, and ascorbic acid. Among micronutrients, the levels of Zn, Na, Cr, and Cl were lowered by 25%, 54.3%, 25%, and 75.4%, respectively, whereas the level of Ni was 62.5% higher in the infected stem bark when compared with the healthy stem bark. However, other micronutrients did not show significant differences between healthy and infected parts. Among macronutrients, the quantity of N, P, and Mg showed an increase of 51.2%, 34.7%, and 27.6%, respectively, whereas the quantity of Ca and K was decreased by 25.2% and 7.66% in the infected stem barks as compared to healthy ones. The results of this study provide some basic but important information that may ultimately be helpful in managing the quick decline disease in the mango trees.

Background: This survey is the first extensive and large-scale spice plant assessment in four different spices marketplaces of district Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study offers the first significant catalog of spice prices, the chain of collection, production, trade pattern and consumption. Methods: Consultation, personal observations, and group discussions with 90 informants (10% women and 90% male) using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted. Results: A total of 45 spice taxa belonging to 21 families were documented. The data were examined using various ethnoecological indices such as UV (Use Value), RFC (Relative Frequency of Citation), UR (Use Report), and CIV (Cultural Importance Value). Amongst all the taxa, the plant having the highest Use Value were Coriandrum sativum (0.783), used as Anti-cholesterol and carminative, Ocimum basilicum (0.742) for kidney problems, insomnia, and snake bites, and Piper nigrum (0.732) for cough. The UV ranged from 0.07 (Mangifera indica) to 0.78 (Coriandrum sativum). The most used spices plant parts were fruits (35.56%), trailed by seeds (28.89%), leaves (11.11%), bulb, bark, and rhizome (4.44%). RFC ranged from 0.16 (Mangifera indica) to (Coriandrum sativum) 0.82. The maximum RFC value was documented for Coriandrum sativum (0.822), trailed by Papaver somniferum (0.788), Cuminum cyminum, Ocimum basilicum, and Piper nigrum (0.777) each. Curcuma longa (0.65) had the maximum mCI (mean Cultural Importance) while the Mangifera indica (0.04) had the lowest. The majority off spice plants parts traded was imported (41 species, 91.11%) from India, China, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran, Brazil, and Nepal. Most of them were transported from Pakistan from different cities and provinces in Pakistan like Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Peshawar, Quetta, and Multan into district Bannu. The minimum number of spice plants (8 species, 17.77%) were collected or cultivated locally. The spices plant having the highest trade price per kg (PKR 525000, US$ 3365) was Crocus sativus which is imported from Gilgit-Baltistan and China, while the lowest trade price was documented for Allium sativum (PKR 75, US$ 0.4) which is imported and also grown locally. Conclusions: The current study suggests that more detailed research would be highly interesting, as the district is well known for spices and medicinal plants. Keywords: Quantitative study, spices plants, spices markets, Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.