Composition Of Oil Research Articles

Solidago virgaurea L.: Chemical composition, antibacterial, and antileishmanial activity of essential oil from aerial part

Solidago virgaurea L. popularly called Goldenrod is a member of the Asteraceae family. S. virgaurea sample were obtained from Binsar, Almora (Indian state of Uttarakhand). The essential oil from the aerial part was distilled out using steam distillation, and GC and GC-MS were employed for analysis. A total of 27 constituents from aerial part were identified constituting 92.92% of total oil composition. The aerial parts of S. virgaurea were found to contain limonene (25.57%), α-humulene (12.19%), linalool oxide (8.65%), benzyl salicylate (6.40%), 1,4-cineole (6.22%) and humulene epoxide (II) (5.93%). The antibacterial activity of this essential oil was studied using disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods on five human pathogen bacteria and six plant pathogenic bacteria. There was moderate to good antibacterial activity in the oil sample extracted from the entire aerial portion of the plant. We did the antileishmanial activity of essential oils with Leishmania donovani (Dd8) promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. EO was safer on the J774.A1 macrophages and lethal to promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes at different concentrations (10, 50, and 100 μg/ mL). These findings support the traditional uses of S. virgaurea and suggest its potential as a natural remedy for bacterial infections and leishmaniasis.

Chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-proliferative activities of the leaf essential oil of Melaleuca polandii grown in the coastal plains of eastern India

Melaleuca polandii, commonly known as “Gold-tipped Bottlebrush”, is widely grown in Indian gardens and parks as an ornamental plant. In the present study, the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of M. polandii leaf essential oil (MPLEO) have been investigated. GC-MS analysis of MPLEO isolated from plants grown along the coastal plains of Eastern India revealed the presence of 50 constituents with α-pinene (46.17%), 3Z-hexenyl acetate (10.10 %), α-terpineol (5.43%), limonene (3.63%) and ρ-cymene (2.44 %) as the major constituents. MPLEO exhibited moderate antioxidant capacity in DPPH, ABTS and Reducing ability assays with IC50 values of 7.94 ± 0.34 μg/mL, 5.71 ± 0.21 μg/mL and EC50 7.09 ± 0.35 μg/mL, respectively. Of the 5 bacterial strains tested, the EO exhibited highest sensitivity against Bacillus subtilis with the ZOI of 12.66 ± 0.57 mm and strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus saprophyticus with MIC value of 6.25 μg/mL. MPLEO exhibited significant cytotoxic effects against Human alveolar lung adenocarcinoma (A549), Human hepato-cellular carcinoma (HepG2), Human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) and normal Human Embryonic Kidney cell (HEK-293) as evaluated through MTT assay with IC50 values of 9.5 ± 0.38 μg/mL, 22.73 ± 0.95 μg/mL, 20.41 ± 0.82 μg/mL and 237.68 ± 9.26 μg/mL, respectively. The findings of the present study demonstrated that MPLEO could be considered as a potential bioresource having applications in pharmaceutical industries as an antibacterial and antiproliferative agent.

Assessing the efficacy of utilizing biochar derived from oil palm biomass as a planting medium for promoting the growth and development of oil palm seedlings

The recent adoption of biochar in Malaysia's oil palm industry offers numerous benefits, including soil enhancement, resource efficiency improvement, pollution remediation, and greenhouse gas mitigation. With approximately 66.15% of agricultural land dedicated to oil palm cultivation, a substantial amount of biomass, mainly from empty fruit bunch (EFB) and mesocarp fibre (MF), is generated. This study focused on carbonizing MF and EFB at temperatures ranging from 580 to 695 °C to produce biochar. The assessment of biochar's effectiveness as a planting medium in nurseries revealed significantly accelerated growth rates in seedlings cultivated in a composite of biochar and soil. At 8 months-after-treatment (MAT), the BMF-75 treatment showed remarkable growth enhancements, with the highest increase in height (64.9%), number of leaflets (60.5%), and girth size (55.3%) compared to the initial values at 3 MAT, indicating its effectiveness in promoting growth in oil palm seedlings. Additionally, compared to the control group, the biochar-mixed media resulted in favourable outcomes regarding the assimilation of both macro- and micro-nutrients. For instance, nitrogen uptake increased by 2.7% with BMF-50, magnesium by 25.2%, phosphorus by 24.1% with BEFB-75, calcium by 36.8% with BMF-75, chlorine by 10.5% with BMF-50, iron by 25.5% with BEFB-25, copper by 20.1% with BMF-25, and zinc by 6.3% with BMF-25. Additionally, biochar-treated soil exhibited higher organic carbon content, improved cation exchange capacity (CEC), enhanced nitrogen retention with greater biochar proportions, and likely improved soil fertility due to biochar's porous structure. Further potential research can be explored to investigate its long-term effects on oil palm plantation.

Essential oil analysis of Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo, and its application in green synthesis of iron nanoparticles to remove Cr (VI) ions from aqueous solutions

Acroptilon repens is a widespread weed in Asia, and has a complicated taxonomy. Recent taxonomical treatment explored that Acroptilon species must be classified in the genus Rhaponticum. Therefore, the scientific name of this species has been converted into Rhaponticum repens. In the current study, essential oil composition, and its ability to green synthesis of iron nanoparticles for future use to adsorb Cr (VI) ions pollution of aquatic solution were evaluated for the first time. The GC-MS analysis revealed oxygenated monoterpenes constituted great proportion of the essential oil, with 1,8-cineole and camphor as the main essential oil components. Several appropriate methods, including UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, DLS, and VSM revealed the green synthesis of a mixture of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles by the extracted essential oil. Sizes of the produced nanoparticles were not equal and detected in the range of 3 to 50 nm, with an average size of 31.5 nm and the magnetic property of 15 emu/g. The green-synthesized nanoparticles could adsorb Cr (VI) ions pollution from aquatic solutions. However, under an optimum condition, the Cr (VI) ions adsorption capacity and removal were 167.6 mg/g and 91%, respectively. Findings revealed the major essential oil composition highly differed from those reported in the previous phytochemical studies. Although the synthesized nanoparticles were not uniform, they could remove Cr (VI) ions pollution.

Manganese exposure from spring and well waters in the Shenandoah Valley: interplay of aquifer lithology, soil composition, and redox conditions

Manganese (Mn) is of particular concern in groundwater, as low-level chronic exposure to aqueous Mn concentrations in drinking water can result in a variety of health and neurodevelopmental effects. Much of the global population relies on drinking water sourced from karst aquifers. Thus, we seek to assess the relative risk of Mn contamination in karst by investigating the Shenandoah Valley, VA region, as it is underlain by both karst and non-karst aquifers and much of the population relies on water wells and spring water. Water and soil samples were collected throughout the Shenandoah Valley, to supplement pre-existing well water and spring data from the National Water Information System and the Virginia Household Water Quality Program, totaling 1815 wells and 119 springs. Soils were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence and Mn K-Edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy. Factors such as soil type, soil geochemistry, and aquifer lithology were linked with each location to determine if correlations exist with aqueous Mn concentrations. Analyzing the distribution of Mn in drinking water sources suggests that water wells and springs within karst aquifers are preferable with respect to chronic Mn exposure, with < 4.9% of wells and springs in dolostone and limestone aquifers exceeding 100 ppb Mn, while sandstone and shale aquifers have a heightened risk, with > 20% of wells exceeding 100 ppb Mn. The geochemistry of associated soils and spatial relationships to various hydrologic and geologic features indicates that water interactions with aquifer lithology and soils contribute to aqueous Mn concentrations. Relationships between aqueous Mn in spring waters and Mn in soils indicate that increasing aqueous Mn is correlated with decreasing soil Mn(IV). These results point to redox conditions exerting a dominant control on Mn in this region.

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils of seven Cultivated Apiaceae species

The Apiaceae family contains many species used as food, spice and medicinal purposes. Different parts of plants including seeds could be used to obtain essential (EO) oils from members of the Apiaceae family. In the present study, EOs were components obtained through hydrodistillation from the seeds of anise (Pimpinella anisum), carrot (Daucus carota), celery (Apium graveolens), dill (Anethum graveolens), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and cumin (Cuminum cyminum). EO constituents were determined with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) and their antioxidant capacities were determined with the cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) methods. The antimicrobial activity of EOs were tested against four pathogenic bacteria. Phenylpropanoids in anise (94.87%) and fennel (92.52%), oxygenated monoterpenes in dill (67.59%) and coriander (98.96%), monoterpene hydrocarbons in celery (75.42%), mono- (45.42%) and sesquiterpene- (43.25%) hydrocarbons in carrots, monoterpene hydrocarbon (34.30%) and aromatic hydrocarbons (32.92%) in cumin were the major compounds in the EOs. Anethole in anise and fennel, carotol in carrot, limonene in celery, carvone in dill, linalool in coriander, and cumin aldehyde in cumin were predominant compounds in these EOs. The high hydrocarbon content in cumin EO gave high CUPRAC activity (89.07 µmol Trolox g−1), and the moderate monoterpene hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpene content in dill EO resulted in higher DPPH activity (9.86 µmol Trolox g−1). The in vitro antibacterial activity of EOs against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli was evaluated using the agar diffusion method and the minimum bactericidal concentration was determined. Coriander, cumin and dill EOs showed inhibitory effect against all tested strains except P. aeruginosa. While fennel and celery EOs were effective against E. coli and B. cereus strains, respectively, anise and carrot EOs did not show any antibacterial effect against the tested bacteria. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) produced four groups based on EO constituents of seven species. The potential adoption of the cultivated Apiaceae species for EO extraction could be beneficial for the wild species that are endangered by over collection and consumption.

Oil Quality Prediction in Olive Oil by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: Applications in Olive Breeding

The oxidative stability index (OSI) and fatty acid (FA) composition of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) are key parameters in the characterization of new varieties in breeding programs. Their determination through traditional methods (Rancimat and gas chromatography, respectively) is expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need to develop rapid and cost-effective analytical procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for analyzing OSI and FA composition in EVOOs. A total of 318 samples sourced from different origins were evaluated using both FT-NIR MPA and MicroNIR instruments in transmittance mode, with wavelengths ranging from 1100 to 2500 nm and 908 to 1676 nm, respectively. Different accuracies were obtained in the models developed for the different evaluated traits, with simpler models (using a lower number of latent variables) for the MPA analyzer in all cases. Additionally, consistent results between instruments for the partitioning of the variance and heritability estimation, and the reliable ranking of genotypes were obtained from one of the sample sets tested. In summary, models derived from PLS regression using spectroscopic data of both instruments demonstrated promising results in determining these EVOO traits, facilitating their evaluation and selection of genotypes, particularly in breeding programs.

Risks associated with wastewater reuse in agriculture: investigating the effects of contaminants in soil, plants, and insects

Rapid urbanization has heightened the urgency of the necessity for sustainable water management in agriculture. This review focuses on the impacts of using reused wastewater in agricultural practices, specifically highlighting the nutrient benefits and consequences of pollutants on important environmental elements. It investigates the impact of contaminants on agricultural ecosystems by assessing the soil composition and nutrient equilibrium. This research also examines the impact of pollution exposure on plants and insects, elucidating the behavioural adaptations and their broader ecological consequences in agricultural environments. Eventually, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to consolidate these findings, emphasizing the challenges and significance of implementing sustainable practices. This study highlights the necessity of addressing the health and environmental concerns associated with the agricultural reuse of wastewater, while also giving valuable information to guide future regulations.

Assessment of nutrient flows in maize-based farming system by smallholder farmers for sustainable production in Ikara, Kaduna State

Nutrient depletion is one of the major causes of decreased crop yield, and a threat to food security and sustainable crop production. NutMon- toolbox was used to determine nutrient flows and partial nutrient balances of maize-based smallholders’ farming system. Data was collected using structured questionnaire from 15 randomly selected farmers, with five farmers each in three villages. Composite soil samples were also taken from each of the three plots. At crop maturity, samples of crop products and residues were randomly taken from the selected fields. Nitrogen, P and K contents in soil and crop material was used to calculate nutrient flows and partial balances. Results obtained revealed that mineral fertilizer flow, averaged 349.20kg N yr-1 and 81.45kg K yr-1 and were lower than 376.65kg N yr-1 and 431.44kg K yr-1 organic input. However, phosphorus in mineral fertilizer (55.78kg P yr-1) was higher compared to phosphorus (51.06 kg P ha-1 yr-1) in organic input. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for maize seeds and crop residue were all negative. The partial nutrient balances were positive 53.45kg N ha-1 yr-1 and 79.40kg K ha-1 but negative 1.10kg P ha-1 yr-1. Harvesting of crops for food, without incorporation of crop residue into the soil, were the most important sources of nutrient mining in smallholder production system. Integrated soil fertility management practices that favour the buildup of soil organic matter and use of animal manure should be encouraged through effective extension services at Ikara, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Effect of environmental conditions and seasons on the growth, yield, and essential oil composition of Foeniculum vulgare L.

Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) oils have an essential function in the food and therapeutic industries. The study’s purpose was to describe how different environmental circumstances and locations in Egypt affected the fennel oil yields and compositions. To assess the growth, yield, and essential oil constituents of F. vulgare at four differing agro-ecological regions in Egypt (El-Minia Governorate, Bahariya Oasis, El-Sharkia Governorate, and Aswan Governorate) at two different planting dates, in-field study was performed throughout the seasons 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. According to the data, there are highly significant differences between locations and sowing dates; the second date (15th November) is the best date for planting fennel plants. Plants grown in the Bahariya Oasis location had the maximum oil yield in mL/plant and L/acre, whereas the Aswan location had the highest percentage of EO. Eight EO samples underwent GC-MS analysis and chemometric analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), yielding identification of a total of 22 compounds. EOs from plants grown in various environments varied significantly in terms of their chemical composition, mainly components‘ concentrations. The main components were identified as estragole (66.62-89.73%), D-limonene (5.76-17.04%), and fenchone (2.02-9.23%). In samples gathered on November 15, 2020-2021, at the Bahariya Sekem Farm, anethole was found at a high concentration (12.79%), despite the compound’s absence or minimal presence in the other EOs. According to the current study findings, modulation of the cultivation and ecological circumstances can be used for the improvement of funnel EO.

Insights to the water balance of a Boreal watershed using a SWAT model

The hydrological characteristics of a watershed play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems within the Boreal zone and have a significant impact on regional environments. Knowing these characteristics, such as the distinctive topography, vegetation, soil composition, and climatic conditions in the Canadian Boreal ecozone, is essential for implementing sustainable water management. This study focuses on assessing the hydrological dynamics of the Upper Humber River Watershed (UHRW) in western Newfoundland, Canada, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The UHRW includes sub-basins and hydrological response units (HRUs), with diverse land uses, soil types, and slope characteristics. Key parameters influencing streamflow simulation were identified through sensitivity analysis, including the runoff curve number, the effective hydraulic conductivity, the temperature lapse rate, the soil evaporation compensation factor, and the available water capacity of the soil layer. The SWAT model, using data from the Reidville hydrometric station, shows favorable performance metrics, with R2 values of 0.79 and 0.83 during the calibration and evaluation periods, respectively. The model effectively captures seasonal and monthly flow patterns, displaying right-skewed distributions and seasonal variations. The analyzed hydrological parameters, such as precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, surface runoff, and groundwater flow, reveal their significant contributions to the water balance. The flow duration curve analysis indicates the model’s capability to estimate peak and low flows, with slight under-prediction during the recession phase. Seasonal analysis further supports the model’s performance, with positive Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) values ranging from 0.65 to 0.91. The study concludes that the SWAT model is suitable for simulating the hydrological processes in the studied watershed providing valuable insights for sustainable water resource management and decision-making in the UHRW. The results can be useful for other Boreal ecozone watersheds.

New soil weathering index based on compositional data analyses of silt to sand sized parent mineral assemblages of terra rossa soils

Weathering indices are widely used in soil science and some other environmental disciplines for a variety of purposes (e. g. for soil classification, in soil formation studies, or in wider palaeoclimatic research). Two main categories of weathering indices have been developed: geochemical and mineralogical. In both cases, an approach is developed that takes into account the compositional nature of the geochemical data. To date, however, the most commonly used weathering indices are geochemical indices that do not consider the geochemical data as compositional. Although the compositional approach minimises possible statistical errors, the weathering indices developed in both approaches, i.e., compositional and classical, axiomatically assume two things that are inaccurate in some cases. First, that soil composition is invariant with respect to the preferential translocation of clay-sized particles, i.e. lessivage, and second, that the selective sorting of minerals during transport does not affect the values of weathering indices. As a result, in some cases bulk analyses of mineralogical and geochemical content are an unreliable tool for determining weathering rates of soil. To overcome these difficulties, this study proposes a new weathering index (Wp-min) based on the orthonormal log ratio (olr) transformation of quantitative mineral data derived from silt- to sand-sized allochthonous mineral assemblages. The size fraction used ensures that only the parent mineral assemblages, which are not prone to translocation, are analysed. In this paper, olr transformation is done using the concept of balances. This enabled the construction of variables, which essentially are various mineral log ratios, with the desired properties, i.e. transport invariance and sensitivity to selective dissolution. In this way, undesirable effects, i.e. selective sorting and lessivage, which ultimately affect bulk analyses, are avoided, allowing a more accurate estimation of weathering in the soil profiles studied. The new index was validated by comparison with the geochemical W index, which was modified by consulting the standardized variation matrix prior to element selection. Ultimately, compared to the geochemical index, the new index was better able to characterise weathering in soils where intense lessivage was detected. The study was conducted on terra rossa soils, which have common source, mostly of aeolian origin.

Essential oils of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) of Spain: A case study on clones ´Grosso´ and ´Super´

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) is a sterile natural hybrid obtained from the crossing of lavender (L. angustifolia Mill.) and spike lavender (L. latifolia Medik.), and its cultivation has gained great importance in Spain. This work is aimed to study the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) of lavandin from clones ´Grosso´ and ´Super´ cultivated in Spain. For this purpose, 215 EOs, obtained by steam distillation between 2016 and 2022 in agricultural farms located in 13 provinces of Spain, were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) in three public R&D centers: the Regional Institute for Agrifood and Forestry Research and Development of Castilla-La Mancha (IRIAF), the Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITACyL) and the Agrifood Research and Technology Center of Aragon (CITA). The chemical composition of the EO of lavandin showed great inter- and intra-varietal variability, with the main compounds being linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor and 1,8-cineole. The results showed that the contents of camphor and 1,8-cineole were higher in ´Grosso´ (7.2% vs 5.0% and 5.7% vs 3.8%, respectively), while those of linalool and linalyl acetate were higher in ´Super´ (35.8% vs 34.2% and 33.7% vs 27.2%). Among minor compounds, the lavandin 'Super' exhibited a higher content of β-Z-ocimene and β-E-ocimene, and a lower content of terpinen-4-ol compared to 'Grosso´. Additionally, eleven compounds of lavandin 'Grosso' were compared within the ranges established by ISO 8902:2009 standard, revealing that only 18% of the samples complied with it for all of these compounds. In this sense, the contents of α-terpineol, linalool and lavandulyl acetate were above the upper limit of the standard in respectively 49%, 23% and 21% of the samples. On the contrary, 36% of the samples for β-Z-ocimene and 32% for linalyl acetate were below the range of this regulation. Unfortunately, these discrepancies with the ISO regulation exclude numerous EOs from the market despite their value in different sectors like perfumery, cosmetics, aromatherapy, phytosanitary or pharmacy. This work could serve as a guidance and/or reference study of Spanish essential oil of ´Grosso´ and ´Super´ clones for stakeholders involved in the lavandin EO market.

Comparative chemical profiling of leaf essential oils from Cinnamomum kanehirae and related species using steam distillation and solvent extraction: Implications for plant-based classification

Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata, belonging to Lauraceae family, is an indigenous and endangered species of considerable economic importance in Taiwan. It plays a crucial role as the host for the economically valuable saprotrophic fungus, Taiwanofungus camphorates. However, accurate species identification poses a challenge due to the similarity in morphological features and frequent natural hybridization with closely related species. Acquiring high-quality and pure leaf oils becomes imperative for precise species identification and producing superior goods. In this study, our objective was to establish methodologies for analyzing the chemical composition of leaf essential oils and subsequently apply this knowledge to differentiate among three Cinnamomum species. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was employed to scrutinize the chemical makeup of leaf essential oils from three closely related species: C. kanehirae, C. micranthum, and C. camphora. We utilized Steam Distillation (SD) and steam distillation-solvent extraction (SDSE) methods, with the SDSE-Hexane approach chosen for optimization, enhancing extraction efficiency and ensuring essential oil purity. Through the SDSE-Hexane method, we identified seventy-four compounds distributed across three major classes: monoterpenes hydrocarbons (0.0–7.0 %), oxygenated monoterpenes (3.8–90.9 %), sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons (0.0–28.3 %), and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (1.6–88.1 %). Our findings indicated the presence of more than one chemotype in both C. kanehirae and C. camphora, whereas no specific chemotype could be discerned in C. micranthum. Furthermore, clustering based on chemotypes allowed for the differentiation of samples from the three species. Notably, we demonstrated that the chemical compositions of grafted C. kanehirae remained largely unaffected by the rootstock. Conversely, natural hybrids between C. kanehirae and C. camphora exhibited profiles more closely aligned with C. kanehirae. The optimized extraction method and the chemotype-based classification system established in this study present valuable tools for essential oil preparation, species identification, and further exploration into the genetic variation of Cinnamomum.

Study on the Production and Composition of Essential Oil from Cinnamomum cassia Bark in Yen Bai Province of Vietnam

Study on the Production and Composition of Essential Oil from Cinnamomum cassia Bark in Yen Bai Province of Vietnam

Comparative study of the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of volatile oils extracted from Pimpinella anisum L. and Anethum graveolens L. seeds grown in Syria

Comparative study of the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of volatile oils extracted from Pimpinella anisum L. and Anethum graveolens L. seeds grown in Syria

Chemical composition and biological evaluation of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia L.) leaves essential oils

Melaleuca alternifolia L. essential oils (MaEO), extracted through steam, distillation of its leaves, offer a multitude of benefits. The aim of the study was to determine the physicochemical and biological properties, such as relative density, absolute density, acid value, saponification value, ester value, freezing point, fragrance retention, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of MaEO. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to analyze the chemical composition of essential oils (EO), and the obtained results displayed those 45 compounds were identified and quantified; among them, the main component was Terpinen-4-ol (44.55%). In addition, the antioxidant capacity (AC) was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 360 mg mL-1. Moreover, MaEO also had excellent antibacterial activity (AA) against certain types of bacteria, using the paper disc diffusion method for antibiotic susceptibility testing. The diameter of the inhibitory zones were 12.33, 14, 15.67, and 24.33 mm for Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Salmonella enterica (ATCC 13076), and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), respectively.

Lead-cadmium accumulation in agricultural soils and health implications

The use of pesticides in farms has made agricultural soils often contaminated with heavy metals, excess of which the soils could pollute the environment and potentially damage human health through accumulation in the food chain. The geochemical compositions in agricultural soils from two commercial farms were analysed using ICP-MS. Trace elements are needed in minute quantities in soils but can be toxic to plants and humans with health implications at elevated rates. Soil samples from the study area were analysed and the result revealed that lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in the study sites were within the FAO/WHO standard limits. The implications of elevated rates on crops and humans alike are highlighted in this paper.

Water deprivation modifies the metabolic profile of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) leaves.

Lavender plantation is globally expanded due to the increasing demand of its essential oil and its popularity as an ornamental species. However, lavender plantations, and consequently essential oil industries, are threatened by more frequent and severe drought episodes in a globally changing climate. Still little is known about the changes in the general metabolome, which provides the precursors of essential oil production, by extended drought events. Prolonged drought fundamentally results in yield losses and changing essential oil composition. In the present study, the general metabolome of a main cultivated lavender species (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) in response to water deprivation (WD) and re-watering was analyzed to identify the metabolomics responses. We found prolonged WD resulted in significant accumulations of glucose, 1,6-anhydro-β-D-glucose, sucrose, melezitose and raffinose, but declines of allulose, β-D-allose, altrose, fructose and D-cellobiose accompanied by decreased organic acids abundances. Amino acids and aromatic compounds of p-coumaric acid, hydrocaffeic acid and caffeic acid significantly accumulated at prolonged WD, whereas aromatics of cis-ferulic acid, taxifolin and two fatty acids (i.e., palmitic acid and stearic acid) significantly decreased. Prolonged WD also resulted in decreased abundances of polyols, particularly myo-inositol, galactinol and arabitol. The altered metabolite profiles by prolonged WD were mostly not recovered after re-watering, except for branched-chain amino acids, proline, serine and threonine. Our study illustrates the complex changes of leaf primary and secondary metabolic processes of L. angustifolia by drought events and highlights the potential impact of these precursors of essential oil production on the lavender industry.

LURAD: Design study of a comprehensive radiation monitor package for the gateway and the lunar surface

Moon is an auspicious environment for the study of Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SEP) due to the absence of magnetic field and atmosphere. The same characteristics raise the radiation risk for human presence in orbit around it or at the lunar surface. The secondary (albedo) radiation resulting from the interaction of the primary radiation with the lunar soil adds an extra risk factor, because neutrons are produced, but also it can be exploited to study the soil composition. In this paper, the design of a comprehensive radiation monitor package tailored to the lunar environment is presented. The detector, named LURAD, will perform spectroscopic measurements of protons, electrons, heavy ions, as well as gamma-rays, and neutrons. A microdosimetry monitor subsystem is foreseen which can provide measurements of LET(Si) spectra in a wide dynamic range of LET(Si) and flux for SPE and GCR, detection of neutrons and biological dose for radiation protection of astronauts. The LURAD design leverages on the following key enabling technologies: (a) Fully depleted Si monolithic active pixel sensors; (b) Scintillators read by silicon photomultipliers (SiPM); (c) Silicon on Insulator (SOI) microdosimetry sensors; These technologies promise miniaturization and mass reduction with state-of-the-art performance. The instrument’s design is presented, and the Monte Carlo study of the feasibility of particle identification and kinetic energy determination is discussed.