Alginate Treatment Research Articles

Simultaneously enhancing strength and toughness of coir fiber through NaOH and sodium alginate treatment

Coir fibers are commonly subjected to alkali treatment to eliminate impurities and tune their mechanical properties. However, this process can damage the fibers’ microstructures, posing a challenge in significantly enhancing both strength and toughness simultaneously. Herein, we successfully enhanced both strength and toughness of coir fibers through a combined treatment with NaOH and sodium alginate aqueous solution. Coir fibers treated with 5 wt% NaOH solution, followed by 0.5 wt% sodium alginate solution, exhibit a tensile modulus of 2475.0 MPa, a tensile strength of 126.4 MPa, and a toughness of 30.7 MJ/m³, representing improvements of 57.1 %, 72.7 %, and 116.2 %, respectively, compared to the raw fibers. Mechanistic studies revealed that NaOH treatment effectively removes pectin, hemicellulose and lignin from coir fibers but introduces numerous defects. Sodium alginate can repair these defects by forming hydrogen bonds with the rich oxygen-containing group of coir fibers. The combined treatment also increases the crystallinity of coir fibers from 30.3 % for the raw fibers to 44.1 % by removing a large number of amorphous substances. Additionally, the combined treatment reduces the microfibril angle from ∼63.6° to ∼46.6° by elongating the helix structure and filling the gaps between helical fibers. Our cost-effective strategy not only promotes the applications of coir fibers but also provides guidance for the modification of other natural plant fibers.

A sodium alginate intervention strategy to enhance therapeutic effects of bone-targeted alpha therapy via remodeling 223RaCl2 distribution

Radium-223 dichloride is the first approved alpha particle-emitting radiopharmaceutical for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases. A large percentage of intestinal enrichment and a slow clearance rate were the main causes of gastrointestinal adverse events after 223RaCl2 administration. The molecular weight of sodium alginate in aqueous solution was determined to be 656 kDa. Sodium alginate exhibits a higher affinity for adsorbing Ra2+ compared to other metal ions belonging to the second main group. Sodium alginate as low as 0.5 g/rat reduced intestinal damage by remodeling 223RaCl2 distribution without affecting bone resorption. Intestinal villi were preserved and enterocyte activity was maintained after sodium alginate intervention. Sodium alginate reduced DNA oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation and maintained endogenous antioxidant status by increasing superoxide dismutase levels and total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, sodium alginate treatment mitigated DNA damage and apoptosis. The administration of sodium alginate effectively maintained the integrity of the intestinal microbiota, which had undergone perturbations due to radiation exposure. This study demonstrated that sodium alginate could be applied to reduce the adverse effects caused by radiation exposure to the intestine during 223RaCl2-treated and reduced intestinal damage resulted from 223RaCl2 accumulation without affecting bone uptake.

Covalent immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans cell walls for aflatoxin M1 bio‐detoxification

AbstractThe study compared the bio‐detoxification capabilities of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans cell walls for aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). The yeast cell walls were disrupted using thermal shock‐ultrasound, resulting in 75 nm particles, as confirmed by dynamic light scattering. These disrupted cell walls were then immobilized on nano‐zeolite and entrapped in ca‐alginate. SEM, FTIR & XRD confirmed their physical absorption on the nano‐zeolite and entrapment in ca‐alginate. Samples were exposed to AFM1 for 15 min and 24 h, either in combination or free, before or after immobilization. HPLC analysis revealed significant variations in AFM1 reduction. The highest reduction of 89.49% was observed after 15 min with alginate treatment, while the immobilized‐entrapped C. albicans cell wall showed the lowest reduction of 24.77% after 24 h. Both free Candida cell walls and immobilized‐entrapped Saccharomyces cell walls showed impressive detoxification abilities. Additionally, immobilized‐entrapped cell walls are reusable and a sustainable choice for industrial use.

EE24 Budget Impact of Stepping Off Patients from Long-Term Inappropriate Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) Use to Episodic Alginate Treatment

EE24 Budget Impact of Stepping Off Patients from Long-Term Inappropriate Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) Use to Episodic Alginate Treatment

Using an enhanced ant lion optimizer to improve artificial neural networks for the prediction of food-grade sodium alginate treatment effects for ready-mixed concrete plant wastewater

Using an enhanced ant lion optimizer to improve artificial neural networks for the prediction of food-grade sodium alginate treatment effects for ready-mixed concrete plant wastewater

The combination treatment of chlorogenic acid and sodium alginate coating could accelerate the wound healing of pear fruit by promoting the metabolic pathway of phenylpropane

Water loss and microbial infection induced by mechanical injury are the main sources of harvested loss of fruits and vegetables. Plenty studies have shown that regulating phenylpropane-related metabolic pathways can effectively accelerate wound healing. The combination treatment of chlorogenic acid and sodium alginate coating on postharvest wound healing of pear fruit were investigated in this work. The result shows combination treatment reduced weight loss and disease index of the pears, enhanced texture of healing tissues, maintained the integrity of cell membrane system. Moreover, chlorogenic acid increased the content of total phenols and flavonoids, and ultimately leads to the accumulation of suberin poly phenolic (SPP) and lignin around wound cell wall. Activities of phenylalanine metabolism-related enzymes (PAL, C4H, 4CL, CAD, POD and PPO) in wound-healing tissue were enhanced. The contents of major substrates such as trans-cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids also increased. The presented results suggested that the combination treatment of chlorogenic acid and sodium alginate coating stimulated wound healing in pears by elevating the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway, so that maintain high postharvest fruit quality.

Sodium alginate edible coating containing Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss essential oil, nisin, and NaCl: Its impact on microbial, chemical, and sensorial properties of refrigerated chicken breast

This study aimed to investigate the effects of sodium alginate (ALG) coating incorporated with Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss essential oil (FAEO, 10 and 20 mg/mL), nisin (N, 500 and 1000 IU/mL), and NaCl (2 %) on microbial (lactic acid bacteria, LAB; total viable bacteria, TVC; psychrotrophic bacteria; Pseudomonas; Enterobacteriaceae, and yeast and mold), chemical (pH, PV, TVB-N, and TBARS), sensory (color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance), and antioxidant properties of refrigerated (4 °C) chicken breasts. GC–MS analysis revealed that trans-β-ocimene (45.36 %) and α-pinene (18.01 %) constituted most of the components in FAEO. The antioxidant properties of FAEO were evaluated via the DPPH method. The IC50 value of FAEO was 562 mg/mL. The results of antimicrobial evaluations indicated that there was no significant difference between control and ALG treatments (p > 0.05). The highest antimicrobial effect was associated with ALG + FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment. The logarithmic reduction of the TVC, psychrotrophic count, Pseudomonas count, Enterobacteriaceae, LAB, as well as yeast and mold count in the ALG + FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment were 1.40, 0.92, 1.20, 1.02, 0.88, and 1 log CFU/g, respectively compared to the control treatment. The initial level of TVB-N in the control treatment was 8.26 mg/100 g, which reached 42.84 mg/100 g at the end of the storage period. In ALG+ FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment, the lowest TVB-N was observed, being 36.37 mg/100 g at the end of the storage period. The initial level of PV in the control treatment was 0.14 meq/kg, which reached 3.04 meq/kg at the end of the storage period. In the treatments containing FAEO, PV was lower than in other treatments, indicating the antioxidant properties of FAEO. There was a significant difference between control and other treatments in pH and TBARS evaluation (p < 0.05). The samples treated with FAEO had a lower pH than control. At the end of the storage period, the TBARS level in the control treatment reached 1.20 mg MDA/kg, while in the treatment of ALG+ FAEO2 + N2 + NaCl treatment, its level was 0.36 mg MDA/kg. The results of sensory properties indicated that in evaluating the color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance on the final days, treatments containing FAEO, nisin, and NaCl had higher scores due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In conclusion, this study indicated that adding FAEO, nisin, and NaCl to ALG coating would enhance the shelf-life of chicken meat.

Pharmacophore identification, virtual screening and activity verification of pedunsaponin A on target proteins PcAdv and PcnWAS of Pomacea canaliculata.

Target-protein-based pesticide screening has attracted wide-ranging attention on pesticide science. Pedunsaponin A (PA) is a compound isolated from the root of Pueraria peduncularis, and it has a strong toxic effect on Pomacea canaliculata. Previous studies found that Advlin (PcAdv) and neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome isoform X1(PcnWAS) are target proteins of PA when interacted with P.canaliculata. In this study, we modeled the two target proteins through I-Tasser and identified the pharmacophore of PA binding to the two target proteins by molecular docking. Furthermore, through virtual screening, potassium alginate was found to strongly bind to the target proteins in theory. In vivo bioassay showed that, similar to PA treatment, potassium alginate was able to induce typical poisoning symptoms on P.canaliculata, which were characterized by abnormal increase of excreta, weakening of climbing capacity, loss of gill cilia and decrease in hemocyanin content, and even cause death of P.canaliculata with a 13.33% mortality rate under 100 mg L-1 concentration. Furthermore, the treatment of potassium alginate also decreased the gene expression level of PcAdv and PcnWAS. These findings indicate that potassium alginate can affect the living state of P.canaliculata, and that it is feasible to develop new molluscicides based on PcAdv and PcnWAS by virtual screening. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biobased alginate treatments on flax fibre reinforced PLA and PHBV composites

This paper presents a novel study on the effect of alginates as a compatibilizer and flame retardant in natural fibre reinforced PLA and PHBV composites. Though alginates have been extensively studied for biomedical applications it's potential as a bio-based compatibilizer and flame retardant in biocomposites has not been investigated. In this study, flax nonwovens were treated with alginate solution and composites were prepared by casting technique and compression molding using chemically modified and unmodified flax nonwovens and biopolymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV). The developed composites were subjected to dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis. The fire resistance of the treated and untreated flax fibres were also tested using a cone calorimeter. Composites containing alginate modified flax fibres were found to exhibit improved viscoelastic and thermal properties. The storage modulus of alginate modified flax reinforced PLA samples exhibited a 60% increment compared to unmodified samples. Alginate modified flax fabrics exhibited reduced heat release rate values and smoke release rates when compared to untreated flax fabrics. Alginates showed potential for use as environmentally friendly compatibilizers and smoke suppressors in natural fibre composites for the development of completely sustainable and biodegradable composites.

Surface modification of Ag3PO4 using the alginate for highly active photocatalyst under visible light irradiation

Surface modification of Ag3PO4 using alginate has been successfully synthesized. Ag3PO4 was prepared by precipitation method using CaHPO4/hydroxyapatite composite as a source of phosphate ion and AgNO3 ethanol solution. Alginate was introduced on the surface of Ag3PO4 under the chemisorption method. Products were analyzed using XRD, DRS, PL spectra, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and XPS. A small band edge absorption at 729 nm was created after surface modification using alginate. XPS analysis showed that the binding energy shifts of 0.3 eV and 0.5 eV were observed after alginate treatment for Ag3d and P2p respectively indicating that the alginate was successfully chemically bound to the Ag3PO4 surface. The alginate-modified Ag3PO4 photocatalyst showed much higher photocatalytic activity than pure Ag3PO4. The high activity is caused by the formation of conjugates that can act as electron donors under visible light irradiation.

Storage life extension of cherry tomato by alginate-based edible coating in combination with UV-C treatment

Purpose: The aim of this work was to determine the effects of UV-C and alginate coating, alone or in combination, on extending the storability and the quality of cherry tomato. Research method: Tomatoes were covered with a 2% alginate coating in combination with UV-C treatment or alone and stored at 10°C with 90-95% relative humidity for 20 days. Tomatoes were evaluated for weight loss, respiration rate, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, lycopene content, total phenolic content, antioxidant content and overall appearance every 5 day. Findings: The results indicated that UV-C +Alginate treatment was highly effective in preserving fruit quality and delaying senescence. Alginate coating preserved brightness and visual quality of fruit while preventing decay. Overall, the integration of UV-C irradiation with alginate coating was the best treatment that could strongly inhibit the increase in the weight loss and respiration and achieved the highest ascorbic acid, total phenolic and antioxidant content. Single UV-C treatment had a positive effect on biochemical compounds at the beginning, but could not maintain this effect at the end of storage. Moreover, lycopene concentration increased as the senescence progressed, but observed higher lycopene contents in control samples. Limitations: No limitations to report. Originality/Value: UV-C + alginate treatment may be a promising method of improving quality and extending the postharvest life of cherry tomatoes.

Artificial biocrust establishment on materials of potash tailings piles along a salinity gradient

Biocrust communities provide a pallet of ecosystem services, such as soil stabilization, altering of hydrological cycles and primary production, and often are the first colonizers of unvegetated surfaces during succession. Therefore, artificially establishing biocrusts can improve soil properties, for example, by stabilizing bare soil surfaces against erosion or by accumulating nutrients. In this study, the establishment of artificial biocrusts was tested for the restoration of potash tailings piles that result from potash fertilizer production and mostly consist of NaCl. A biocrust cover as primary vegetation could decrease the saline seepage waters by trapping rainwaters, thereby reducing the environmental pollution. In a laboratory experiment, we created a salt gradient by mixing the tailings materials with non-saline dune sand. Surface material of the abandoned potash tailings pile Neuhof-Ellers (NE) and material of the Infiltration Hampering Stratum (IHS) were tested, along with a treatment with bone charplus (BCplus) and sodium alginate. A mixture of 50% (w/w) IHS and dune sand was most successful for the establishment of green biocrust microalgae, based on increased biomass and photosynthetic performance. The chlorophyll a content was negatively correlated with the electrical conductivity (EC), and was significantly increased in the BCplus and sodium alginate treatment, while biocrusts failed to establish on pure tailings piles substrates. The limit of the substrates EC for biocrust establishment was 35 mS cm−1. This limit provides a baseline for future studies that should use BCplus and sodium alginate to increase the success of biocrust establishment on potash tailings piles.

Nitrogen/sulfur-doped dual-emission carbon dots with tunable fluorescence for ratiometric sensing of ferric ions and cell membrane imaging

Nitrogen/sulfur-doped dual-emission carbon dots (NS-CDs) with different sizes, long wavelength, tunable fluorescence, high nitrogen level and high photostability were solvothermally synthesized by treating different mass ratio of non-conjugated precursors of SA and GSH in formamide for ratiometric Fe 3+ sensing and targeted cell membrane imaging. • Nitrogen/sulfur-doped dual-emission CDs (NS-CDs) with tunable fluorescence were synthesized. • Nitrogen level and sp 2 -conjugated domains can be tuned by controlling the SA/GSH mass ratio in formamide. • NS-CDs showed high selectivity and sensitivity for ratiometric fluorescence detection of Fe 3+ . • Hydrophilic NS-CDs have intriguing targeted capability for cell membrane imaging. Intrinsic dual-emission carbon dots (CDs) with long wavelength and self-calibration attributes are critical in fluorescence sensing and imaging, but their synthesis remains a great challenge. Here, nitrogen/sulfur-doped dual-emission CDs (NS-CDs) of different sizes were controllably synthesized by solvothermally treatment of sodium alginate (SA) and glutathione (GSH) in formamide. Interestingly, these as-prepared NS-CDs exhibit enchanting dual-emission behavior at 480 and 650 nm, tunable fluorescence, superior photostability, and high nitrogen level up to 19.57%. The decreasing mass ratio of SA/GSH for the synthesis can lead to larger size and lower graphitic nitrogen for NS-CDs, ultimately giving the enhanced photoluminescence (PL) and tunable fluorescence changing from cyan to white-blue. The selected dual-emission NS-CDs showed superior selectivity and sensitivity for ratiometric Fe 3+ sensing with a detection limit as low as 0.56 μM because of the aggregation of NS-CDs induced by Fe 3+ , and achieved the Fe 3+ detection in environment water. Moreover, the fluorescence-tunable NS-CDs possessing plenteous hydrophilic groups exhibit excellent biocompatibility and unprecedented localized capability for specific cell membrane imaging. This study designs a facile and economical strategy to prepare dual-emission CDs with long wavlength, tunable fluorescence and high nitrogen level, which present bright prospects in environmental monitoring and cell imaging.

Effect of agar and alginate on growth performance and levels of leukocytes and erythrocytes of Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

The use of immunostimulants is an effort to increase the immune system in fish. Agar and alginate are phycocoloid derived from seaweed which function as immunostimulants. Research data collection was carried out for 60 days at the Aquaculture and Toxicology Environmental Research Installation, Cibalagung - Bogor. The container used is an aquarium with a size of 60 × 40 × 50 cm, using an aeration system with a stocking density of 15 fish / aquarium. The fish used was tilapia Oreochromis niloticus with an initial weight of 4.36 ± 0.01 g. The research method used was a laboratory experimental using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The research treatment is the use of agar and or alginate in feed. Treatment A was control feed without agar or alginate; treatment B was feed containing alginate; Treatment C was feed containing agar and treatment D was feed containing agar and alginate, with 1% dose for each treatment. Parameters measured were absolute weight growth, specific growth rate, survival rate and blood profile (leukocytes and erythrocytes). The results showed that the addition of agar and or alginate to the feed did not have a significant effect on growth and survival, but had a different effect on the profile of white blood cells (leukocytes) compared to the control. Between alginate treatment (B), agar treatment (C) and agar + alginate treatment (D), agar treatment (C) showed the highest value in weight gain (10.437 ± 0.65 g), specific growth rate (3.06 ± 0.08% / day), and survival (100 ± 0.0%). Whereas for blood profile, treatment B had the highest leukocyte levels, namely 9.89 × 104 cells / mm3 and treatment C had the highest erythrocyte levels, namely 1.71 x106 cells / mm3. The conclusion of this study was that the addition of agar and/or alginate in feed did not affect the growth and survival of tilapia but was able to increase the number of fish leukocytes.

Alginate and fucoidan changes the bacterial community in different directions and the alginate or fucoidan degrading bacteria isolated from paddy soil promotes the plant growth

Seaweed and its extracts have been developed as fertilizers because they possess plant-growth-promoting and antibacterial compounds. For use as fertilizers, the major carbohydrates in seaweed, including fucoidan and alginate, need to be efficiently digested in the soil. We isolated fucoidan/alginate degrading bacteria from paddy soil and verified its use as a biofertilizer. Results show that Stenotrophomonas pavanii has a high alginate degrading activity, and also stimulating melon, pepper, and tomato growth. The growth stimulation effect of the bacteria was enhanced by alginate treatment. Bacillus sp. was isolated as a fucoidan degrading bacterium and this bacterium was also able to stimulate melon growth. Using 16S ribosomal DNA analysis, fucoidan/alginate resistant or susceptible bacteria were successively selected. Bacteria with increased population due to fucoidan and alginate had specificity to each carbohydrate, whereas those with decreased population showed susceptibility to both carbohydrates. This report demonstrates some bacteria for their use as biofertilizers with seaweed and demonstrated that a high throughput method is efficient in identifying bacteria with specific properties.

Alginate Coating and Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water: Their Antimicrobial Effects against Inoculated Listeria Monocytogenes on Salmon Fillets

Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate to investigate the inhibitory effect of alginate coating and EOW on listeria monocytogenes in fish samples during 12 days in cold storage condition (at 4˚c). Methods: First, fish fillets were inoculated with listeria monocytogenes, and they were divided into different groups. Then, treated samples including control (no coating), distilled water, alginate, EOW, alginate coating along with EOW were stored at refrigeration temperature. The fillets were kept at 4° C, and the bacterial count was performed on days: 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12. Results: Both individual and combined use of alginate and electrolyzedoxidizing water can significantly inhibit the growth of listeria monocytogenes inoculated compared to control samples, so that the maximum reduction in EOW & alginate treatment (1.37 log CFU / g) was observed. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it is recommended to use alginate coating along with electrolysis water in fish to improve safety against listeria monocytogenes.

Effect of CaCl2 and Alginate-Essential Oil Edible Coating in Maintaining Quality and Antioxidant Content in Rose Apple cv. Dalhari

Information on the treatment of edible coatings alginate and various concentrations of essential oils has not been known to antioxidant and anthocyanin changes in rose apple during storage.This study was aimed to determine the effect of CaCl2 and edible coating towards changes in antioxidants, anthocyanins, and chlorophyll during storage. It was also to determine the concentration of the best combination of immersion of CaCl2 and essential oils to the antioxidant, anthocyanin, and chlorophyll content found in rose apple var. Dalhari. The research was conducted by experimental CRD (Completely Randomized Design) factorial design. The first factor was the concentration of CaCl2 consist of two levels ie 0% and 2%. The second factor was the type and concentration of essential oil consist of 3 levels, namely 1% vanilla, 0.7% cinnamon and 0% essential oil. The results of the combination of CaCl2 and essential oils has no significant effect on antioxidant, anthocyanin, and chlorophyll content.

Construction of new surface on linen fabric by hydroxyethyl cellulose for improving inkjet printing performance of reactive dyes

Linen fabric as a natural fiber is one of the most popular textile products globally due to its excellent moisture absorption, antistatic, and antibacterial characteristics. However, it is still challenging to improve the color strength and utilization rate of reactive dye inks for printed linen fabrics. Herein, we proposed a polymer treatment agent to construct a new surface on linen fabric through a padding process, containing hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and urea. Then the fabric inkjet-printed with reactive dye inks. The results indicated that the HEC treated inkjet-printed linen fabric produced a higher performance with a satisfying fixation rate, more in-depth, and brighter color effect than sodium alginate (SA) treatment. SEM, wettability analysis, XPS and FTIR results revealed that the HEC treatment agent formed a film structure of the fabric to creat new surfaces with more hydrophobic of 46.5° contact angle and 0.9 s wetting time. XRD demonstrated no significant effect of HEC treatment on the aggregate structure of linen fiber. Also, the printed linen fabrics exhibited a satisfying color fastness and breaking strength.

Improved tissue integrity after alginate treatment in rat spinal cord injury: evidence from ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging technique used to characterize fibrous structures such as white matter in the central nervous system, including normal and spinal cord injury (SCI) conditions. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of alginate treatment in the rat SCI by DTI parametric measures. Ex vivo DTI data were collected by spin echo sequence with following parameters TR/TE: 2500 ms/32 ms and b-value of 1500 s/mm2. Main significant changes were found in fractional anisotropy (FA), and radial diffusivity (RD), between the saline- and alginatetreated group at the level of individual sections and whole spinal cord. Results indicate that ex vivo DTI can be used as a tool for tissue structure characterisation and both FA and RD as promising prognostic parameters of SCI treatment.

Study on Antifungal Activity and Ability Against Rice Leaf Blast Disease of Nano Cu-Cu2O/Alginate

Background: Rice blast disease due to Pyricularia oryzae fungus is one of the most destructive ones for rice, causing serious losses in yield and quality in Vietnam and other countries. Studying to develop new fungicides to control the fungal disease effectively is essential.Methods: The sodium alginate-stabilized Cu-Cu2O nanocolloidal solution with a size of about 4 nm and the Cu concentration of 5,000 mg/L was prepared by chemical method. The antifungal activity in vitro against P. oryzae and the ability to control the rice blast disease in the greenhouse of nano Cu-Cu2O/alginate were assessed.Result: The nano Cu-Cu2O/alginate exhibited highly fungal activity with the IC50 of 17.8 mg Cu /L. The disease severity of nano Cu-Cu2O/alginate treatments was in the range of 9.38 - 18.54% in comparison with 47.57% of the untreated control. The grain yield of rice plants treated with nano Cu-Cu2O/alginate increased compared with that of the untreated control, and the Cu content in polished rice was almost the same as that of usually cultured polished rice. Thus, the nano Cu-Cu2O/alginate can be used in agriculture as a plant fungicide, especially for rice cultivation.